Wednesday, February 24, 2010

unconditional love

For as long as I can remember, Elizabeth has had her lovey bunny. She absolutely adores this bunny. It is never more than a few feet from her and although she will take it with us in the car on outings, she never takes it out of the car, because she's so afraid that she'll lose it. And to lose something as precious - and irreplaceable - as bunny is unfathomable.

Bunny really is irreplaceable.

In 2006 thanks to the sleuth investigative skills of some awesome blog readers, we were able to track down a duplicate bunny. But since that time, the company that made Bunny Squeakles stopped making them. And although we once owned two bunnies, we lost our duplicate on a trip to Palm Springs in 2008. So now we're down to one. The original bunny that is, without a doubt, the most beloved possession in my little daughter's life.

As you might imagine, something as beloved as a small stuffed animal can get MIGHTY stinky and unfortunately, Elizabeth has a real hang up about bunny going in to the washing machine. So unless I can remember to pry bunny out of her tightly clutched hands when she's in bed sleeping {which I never do} the only time bunny gets washed is when I can convince Elizabeth to give him? her? it a bath.

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Thankfully, Elizabeth loves playing with water so it doesn't take too much convincing.

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Let's add a little soap...

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And scrub behind those awesome ears.

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Oh yeah. That's the ticket!

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As we well know, bath time is a lot more fun with a friend.

Welcome to the party ducky!

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Let's take a moment and review some ground rules of bathing with a buddy.

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First and foremost, there must be a sufficient quantity of bubbles.

Preferably, up to at least the neckline.

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Although we run a tight ship around here and if we catch your eyes wandering...

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You might be forced to drink soapy water...

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And get an ice cold rinse.

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Bunny, you're an endangered species.

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As far as we know, you are the last of your kind.

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And because you bring so much joy to my daughter, I sure do like you a whole heckuva lot. Especially when you don't smell like an old moldy sock that has been soaked in sauerkraut before being dragged by a skunk through a pigpen and abandoned in a gym locker next to a chunk of Vieux Boulogne.

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Funny enough, Elizabeth could really care less how you smell. Whether you have the scent of pungent french cheese or floral french soap, she has loved you with her entire heart her entire life. In fact, she feels the same way about you - that I feel about her.

And that's just about the sweetest thing I've ever witnessed.

22 comments:

  1. My son has a bunny he loves as well. Fortunately, his bunny can take a spin in the washer while he is at school and no one is much the wiser. Plus, my son can bear to be separated from bunny without many problems.

    I recommend adding a little (or maybe a LOT of) baking soda to Bunny's bath. It definitely cuts down on odor issues, and is safe for kids to handle and wash with.

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  2. Is this it?

    http://motherhubbardsboutique.com/pro915450.html

    I had something very similar as a child, but I insisted it was a dog.

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  3. My brother has the same issue with a limited edition Amy Coe Roary blanket. My nephew won't sleep without it and a replacement on eBay costs more than they would like to pay!

    I guess the trick is to buy gifts for baby showers that won't be hard to replace in the future....limited edition? seriously?

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  4. OMG - I cried reading that entry! We have bear bear in our world - though we have 3 - yes 3 alternatives, none of them get any attention except for original bear bear who is loved so much there is no more fur on him! The stinkier the better! My daughter who is the lover of said bear - 8 year old Hayley! Great story, Jen..and thank you! Lori

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  5. Beautiful post. I love it.

    I just wanted to say that Motherhood has brought me so much closer to God. When I think about the fact that He loves me more than I love my own children...unbelievable. Seriously hard to wrap my arms around that. But I tell my kids anyway that He does love them more than me, because that's not a comfort I ever grew up with. I want them to understand that no matter how they smell, God's love is unconditional in all aspects. Hopefully they will feel a little more self-worth than I did growing up.

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  6. ADORABLE! GREAT pictures! Our boys feel that same way about their blankets. Our oldest son 9soon to be 4 yo.) has the most stinky, small blanket (continues to shrink from all the washing and sucking), and the only one that we can find. We were smart with our youngest, we actually bought two blankets for him because he won't part with it even to wash it. So he has a back up for NOW. So cute how they just can't get through life without them. Did you have a "lovey" when you were little?

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  7. Total crack up. I will never read the post where that bunny gets lost. Never. EVER. Make sure you title it correctly so I don't even click on it.

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  8. My DD's lovey is past the point of even a gentle hand wash. And she loves the ... ummm.... "special" smell that she has!

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  9. Is it pink? http://motherhubbardsboutique.com/pro915450.html

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  10. Well, it used to be pink. It's not really pink any more, it's kind of a muted ... gray? I've checked out Mother Hubbard's boutique and seen our EXACT bunny. But sadly, there are none in stock. I can't find one anywhere!!

    God FORBID we ever lose bunny. We've misplaced him SEVERAL times, but he usually turns up within a few days. The thought of LOSING him forever really makes my heart hurt. I'd love for Elizabeth to have this little critter her whole life. He's been so important to her.

    Yes, I had a lovey when I was little. It was a blanket with silk around the edge. I'd suck my thumb while rubbing the silk against my lip and say, "Goy yoy yoy yoy yoy."

    The last time I remember having my blanket was when I was in the hospital at 5 or 6 yo having my appendix removed. So not only did I lose a body part, I lost my LOVEY.

    True story, even today - 30 some odd years later - all I have to say is "Goy yoy yoy yoy yoy" and I feel instantly relaxed!

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  11. "that;'s just about the sweetest thing I've ever seen"

    Major understatement! Those pictures portrayed a sense of emotion that left me speechless.

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  12. http://www.thefind.com/family/info-baby-boyds-plush#page=1&settings[search.pagesize.multiplier]=2

    Check out that and Check out Amazon.com under boyds bear, I think you will find it!
    I KNEW you should have bought more back ups! Didn't you save one and tuck it away for when she grew up?
    Hugs
    Ruth

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  13. I look everywhere I go for Bunny as I know how much she has always loved it. What happens when she goes to school? Does Bunny attend with her?
    MOM

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  14. Ruth, when I plug in "bunnie squeakles" on that link, it takes me to the Mother Hubbard Boutique, which is the only place on the internet that I can find that has (had) "bunny" but they are sold out.

    When I bought Elizabeth's duplicate bunny a few years ago - that was the ONLY one they had. Believe me, I would have gone back and bought 10 if they had them. If I remember correctly, I did order a few and they contacted me to let me know they only had one left.

    On Amazon, the only thing I can find is the blue bear squeakles, but thanks so much for the recommendation.

    Bottomline: we CANNOT lose our bunny.

    EVER. NEVER.

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  15. OMG! How sweet is Elizabeth! And you are such a great Mom!!
    My son has "bunny" too but our bunny is the blue & white striped bunny from the book "Good Night Moon" which they also stopped making.
    I feel your pain! T

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  16. http://motherhubbardsboutique.com/pro915450.html

    I was going to post this link. Was all proud of myself for finding it. Apparently I wasn't the only one. Hope you can find another one for backup.

    Jack has a rabbit called... Rabbit. He loves it. I was afraid of losing it, so I went out and bought five more identical rabbits. Good thing, because when I got to the store, they were clearing them out!!

    Hope you can find another Squeakles.

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  17. Have you read her "The Velveteen Rabbit"? It's a great story about stuffed animals becoming real and in the event that she loses her bunny this story might help her with her loss.

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  18. Kathy, YES, we know and love the story of the Velveteen Rabbit. But honestly, just the thought of losing Elizabeth's bunny truly makes my heart HURT.

    I'm thinking of putting one of those computer chips in his ear like they put in dogs...

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  19. You lost your lovey in the hospital?? How horrible!

    My son has taken his bunny TWICE with him into surgery, and they are super-extra-good at Children's Hospital in Seattle about labeling loveys that go into surgery with one of the patient's pre-printed labels and then keeping it somewhere near (it can be on or near the child if they don't need a sterile field), and as soon as general anesthesia kicks in, the tagged lovey is put in a plastic bag for the recovery room.

    I can't IMAGINE losing bunny to the hospital.

    And I had a blankie with a satin binding edge as a lovey. Still have it, as a matter of fact. Still love it dearly.

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  20. Check this out, it might help. http://www.collectiblesdatabaseonline.com/cgi-bin/plush/view_item.pl?action=add_view&LOG=lflrwzzdicun_$randpass&ITEM=2901

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  21. This cracks me up! One of my girls has a beloved blankie that she has lovingly named "stinky blankie." Yep, the stinkier the better in her eyes. If I'm lucky, she shoves it in my nose when I'm not looking and I get to take a whiff. She is not a fan of washing the stink out of it either!

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  22. My son who just turned 13 had/has a bunny that traveled around the world with him when his was little. It got lost once on a morning of errands. Thank goodness someone turned it in at Target! After that it never left the car unless it was tied to him. Bunny still sits on his headboard.

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