Sentimental

© shoutingforha

My boy is incredibly sentimental. He doesn't throw anything away. He keeps everything because, like an elephant, the child never forgets where/when/how the object came into his possession. Because of that, each item holds a special place in his heart... a mile marker if you will.

© shoutingforha

I am the exact opposite. Don't get me wrong, I am deeply sentimental when it comes to all the important things, but I have no problem getting rid of all the extra stuff. Nothing thrills me more than to take a truckload of unnecessary things to Goodwill.

© shoutingforha

In my effort to avoid forcing my lets-get-rid-of-it mentality on my boy, the attic and the boy's closet are filled with his clothes, toys and keepsakes from years gone by. He is continually asking me if I still have a certain item that just happened to pop into his head.

Our conversations usually sound something like this...
"Mama, do you still have that green sweater I'm wearing in this picture?"

"Yes, son. It's carefully packed away in the attic. Maybe someday you will have a little boy and he can wear the sweater too."

"That's good. I was worried you might have given it away. I loved that sweater. I wish I could still wear it."

It's really quite sweet. My boy has such a tender heart.

© shoutingforha

A few days ago, the boy was digging in the back of his closet when he stumbled across a bin of his old stuffed animals. These are the same stuffed animals that he snuggled and slept with for years, until one fateful day when he informed me that he was too big to keep them on his bed anymore. He asked that I pack them up and leave them in his closet so he could look at them if he wanted.

© shoutingforha

One look was all it took. They were immediately pulled from his closet and placed right back where they belong... on the boy's bed. It's just like old times.

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Every night when I tuck the boy into the bed, he carefully examines each of the stuffed animals. He reminds me about when he got them and why each one is so special.

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At the top of his list is Bunny. Bunny was sitting in the boy's crib when the hubby and I brought him home from the hospital. They have been companions ever since.

A quick story about the boy's beloved Bunny... When we first got our dog, Brick, he somehow managed to snatch Bunny, chew off his nose and pull out the fluff. The boy was heartbroken.

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In a stroke of genius, I decided to remove Bunny's bottom and use the fabric to construct a new face. A lovely piece of green fleece was used to make a new bottom.

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Just the other night, the boy was reminiscing about how upset he was when Bunny got mauled. Then he started laughing. When I asked what was so funny, he replied, "I just realized that since you made Bunny's new face out of his bottom, Bunny has a butt head."Touché. 

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The boy has informed me that he is going to keep his stuffed animals FOREVER. He even suggested that I remove all those useless documents, like our wills, birth certificates and deed to the house, from the fireproof safe. That way it would free up some room for the things that are really important... Bunny, Snuggles, Doggie, Penguin...

© shoutingforha

I think I'm going to need a bigger safe.