Friday, June 12, 2009

loving the buzz

Our not quite two-year-old son, Henry, has developed an obsession for Buzz Lightyear.

Although we own the movie Toy Story 1 and 2, we don't watch either of them very often. Still, for the past several months, Henry loves anything - and everything - having to do with the purple and white Space Ranger.

Why, I think it's safe to say he loves him to pieces.
When I took the children shopping at Costco a few weeks ago, William spotted a Buzz Lightyear bathing suit. Whenever Henry saw the suit, he almost fell out of the shopping cart with excitement. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a suit in Henry's size, so I had to buy a 3T, because there was no way I was going to leave that store without a bathing suit for both boys.

Especially when Henry held the suit up to his face and yelled, "YAY BUZZ!!"

Since that fateful day, Henry will insist on wearing his Buzz Lightyear bathing suit.

Any day.

All day.

Every day.

When he wakes up in the morning, it's just a matter of time before he is riffling through the dirty clothes hamper looking for his bathing suit. "BUZZ! BUZZ!" he will call out. "Wheh AWE you?!"

Once he has his bathing suit on (which is usually dirty because I frequently forget to wash it at the end of the day), he will run through the house with his arms over his head yelling, "TO INFINY AND YOND!"

He likes Woody, too.


And Mr. Potato Head.

Who he refers to as "Tato."

For a while there, he was particularly attached to a really small Buzz Lightyear doll that he carried everywhere with him. But it was just a matter of time before a toddler will lose something that is only an inch and a half tall.

Recently, he has attached himself to a soft Buzz Lightyear doll that a manager at a local sporting goods store gave to us. One day, when I was in shopping for a few pool items, the manager of the store noticed that two of my children were dressed from head to toe in Buzz Lightyear garb.

It seems a Buzz Lightyear doll had been sitting in the store's lost and found bin for several months and when she came out waving the dirty toy and asking if maybe our children would like it - I didn't even have a chance to say, "Ewww. No Thanks." Before it intersected Henry's plane of sight and his arms went flying up in the air and he started screaming, "BUZZ WIGHTYEAR!! BUZZ WIGHTYEAR!!"

So. We accepted the doll, brought it home and promptly washed it.

Twice.

With bleach.

Now, at least one night a week, we gently pry it out of his sleeping hands and wash it. Since he takes it everywhere with him, it gets positively filthy.

For whatever reason, Henry's been scowling a lot, lately. I don't know why he does this - since no one ever scowls at him. But it is hilarious to watch him scowl and babble and throw out a random "BUZZ WIGHTYEAR!" in the middle of it all.

This 35 second video clip is quintessential Henry.



This attachment to an object is age appropriate behavior because I recall that when the triplets were Henry's age, they had their own loveys. William had a blanket that he chewed on. Carolyn had a blanket that she chewed on. Elizabeth had - and still has - her bunny.

It's clear to me now that Henry's lovey is Buzz Lightyear. Specifically, his lost-and-found doll AND his too big bathing suit. At the end of the day, when it's time to put on his pajamas, he fights me tooth and nail to take off his Buzz bathing suit and get him ready for bed.

The hysteria.


The back arching.


The kicking.


The thrashing.


The screaming.


Frankly, it makes me want to go crack open a bottle of wine and get my own buzz.

22 comments:

  1. Quick-he needs some Buzz Lightyear
    pajamas! Lisa

    BTW-Toy Story 3 previews were shown when we went to see "Up"! (For July 2010!!!)

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  2. My 4 year old has been hooked on the Toy Story characters since he first viewed the movie 3 years ago. We now have 2 rubber bins full, absolutely full, of Toy Story characters (he likes to hit every yard sale he can find). This does not include the bin of Potato Heads.

    I can totally relate to the experience you have been having. We have been full on Toy Story since he was one. His latest mission is to try to find a Wheezy.

    If you would like a used pair of Buzz short jammies, my son just out grew his pair (I was prepared with the next size up). They are used but still have plenty of wear left in them. From one Buzz mom to another...

    If Henry is anything like my Jackson, you have years of Toy Story ahead of you. I embrace it, he has so much fun with it and it is so important to him.

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  3. "Frankly, it makes me want to go crack open a bottle of wine and get my own buzz."... and a Woody, too! haha... oh, is this a G-rated blog? sorry!

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  4. Adorable!
    And maybe this would help with bedtime:
    http://www.disneystore.com/toy-story/apparel-accessories/c/13922/
    (buzz jammies....)

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  5. Dare I suggest Buzz pj's? They've got to exist out there somewhere!

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  6. Courtney in Israel6/13/09, 4:21 AM

    Clearly that boy needs Buzz Wightyear pjs! 2-3 pairs, preferably, so you don't have to stress over laundry.

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  7. What a great post! Your son is really adorable, I loved the scowling video. Maybe he needs some Buzz pajamas? (Of course, then you'd have to wash the bathing suit every night and the PJs on most days...Hmmm)

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  8. The Disney Store is your friend. They have Buzz Lightyear pajamas. At least, the Disney Store near me in the Seattle area does.

    The way Henry feels about Buzz Lightyear is the same way my son (almost 4 years old) feels about Lightning McQueen. I have lost track of all of the "Cars" stuff that we own - right down to his McQueen swim trunks.

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  9. LOVE the story...and the ending! ;-) I remember being obsessed with a troll doll with a rainbow "jewel" in its belly once upon a time...by the time I was done with it, it was beyond disgusting and the jewel had fallen out, whereupon I did eat it. I was three, what can you do?? Don't think any of my wishes came true, though...

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  10. Hilarious and adorable in equal parts.

    What about finding him some Buzz pyjamas to make bed time easier? They have stuff like this on EBay here in Aus for $2-$3 a pair, so I'm guessing you could track it down no sweat in the States. Could be worth a thought? As I'm guessing your sanity is worth that :)

    Keep up the amazing parenting. I love reading your blog.

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  11. My daughter was obsessed with Buzz and Woody for the LONGEST time. She had Woody and a Buzz doll. She would watch the movie OVER and OVER again. I thought it was an odd choice for a little girl. One day we were cuddling on the couch and she was playing with her Buzz doll. Buzz slipped out of hands and split my lip wide open. I have never looked at Buzz the same way....sniff.

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  12. Oh the things children atach themselves to. For a while my son would only wear black socks and white t-shirts. Oh I know about the crying and the screaming! Very cute and buzz lightyear!

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  13. Gosh... He is so so so adorable.

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  14. That Henry is such a doll. He's going to give you a run for your money in his twos, I think.

    Okay, you triple dog dared me to do flip overs a few weeks ago. I have it on my blog today.

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  15. Thanks everyone. Not once have I even considered Buzz Lightyear pajamas.

    I'll look in to those today and then, I'll do my best to enjoy this phase of my child's life where he is a walking - and sleeping - billboard for Disney.

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  16. Henry has a special place in my heart... the scowling... the jabbering... the random understandable word... he is awesome. Being the singleton after triplets... I think God knew what he was doing when he blessed Henry with that personality!

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  17. Henry is adorable.
    I remember my grandson at about Henry's age. He flushed one of his favorite Buzz Whiteyears down the toilet. When his Mommy asked him why he did that, he replied, "Buzz go ocean wike Nemo."

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  18. One of many cuzzins!6/14/09, 10:58 AM

    That Henry is so stinking cute. Thats all I have to say!

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  19. I'm pretty sure there's not one single room in our house that does not have a Buzz of some sort in it and thank God there is a Disney store close because that's where all the good Buzz stuff is. ;o) In fact, we were Buzz last Halloween and Chase's bday party was Buzz themed... I can so relate. You know, there is a Buzz Lightyear Space Commander cartoon movie on DVD (we just watched it for the zillionth time yesterday). We like them all, but Buzz is the best.

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  20. Oh Henry is SO adorable and the prelude to down was a crack up!

    If you go to the disneystore link be sure and check out the sale section rumor has it that they have remainders but you never heard that from me : )

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  21. HE IS SO CUTE!! Love it! Marg

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  22. That was funny but it's alright I'm 14 and I still love my old Woody doll:)

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