Friday, February 8, 2008

Baby Beans and Baby Puppy


Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Mandy. Mandy had a little doll she slept with every night. It was her most favorite baby doll, and her name was Baby Beans. She was very small, had a yellow outfit with a matching bonnet, and was filled with squishy bean-bag beans. In a word, she was perfect. One day, when the little girl was in college, her well meaning mommy was cleaning out the attic and threw Baby Beans in the trash. Mandy found out and she was very sad that Baby Beans had gone to live with the fishes.

FAST FORWARD EIGHT YEARS

My brother calls me to tell me he is in town and has something to give me. IT"S BABY BEANS!! Through the magic of e-bay, Baby Beans has been ressurected.

Now, Dane has a lovie that he sleeps with every night and every naptime. He is Baby Puppy. He is a very small, soft brown puppy, and Dane loves him. In a word, he is perfect. I think he was acquired at a baby shower at some point. A couple of weeks ago, Baby Puppy got lost. He wasn't left at school, or in the car, or under the bed. He wasn't even in Aidan's bed. Bedtime became a time of lip-quivering "I'm trying to be 4 and not cry for Baby Puppy" sadness. It was horrible. We tried every replacement we could think of. Dane had no interest in Dinosaur, Daddy Puppy, Woodstock, Turtle, Elmo, or any other "non Baby Puppy substitute".

One night, when Daddy was gone and Mommy was in charge of bedtime, an idea formed. The tears ceased at the first sight of Mommy's precious Baby Beans. From that night on, Baby Beans had a new sleeping arrangement tucked in next to my Dane. Needless to say, Brandon was not thrilled. His tough, soccer playing, football catching, Ninja Turtle son was sleeping with a DOLL. Dane loved it. He loved Baby Beans, and he would not go to bed without it



Friday morning we were leaving on a road trip to come up to my parents' house. We gathered up the appropriate blankies, Aidan's bear, and Baby Beans. All of a sudden, Brandon had a new mission.

We had to find Baby Puppy NOW. The kids are loaded in the van, the bags are packed, the van is running. And Brandon is not leaving the house without Baby Puppy. His son is not leaving the house with a doll in tow. Needless to say, Baby Puppy materialized rather quickly. It's amazing how fast you can find a beloved puppy when your eldest son's manliness is in question.


2 comments:

Brand al Thor said...

I can make your story better...baby puppy was a gift from GH! He came in one of the boxes of assorted goodies!

Amy Condit said...

Hi Mandy,
I stumbled on this site because I had a little yellow Baby Beans, and she was just perfect for me, too! She was my dearest childhood friend, and inseparable from me, an only child. I nicknamed her "Beanie", and my family called her that, too. When I went to college, Beanie remained at home. I had tons of regrets leaving her behind, and as an adult, longed for her with great sadness.
Beanie stays at my aunt's house, and I believe is currently living under my bed in a box. As of the last six months, I have the need to be reunited with Baby Beans, and have essentially begged my aunt to look for her. Apparently, this is not as important to my aunt as it is to me. However, I did get a birthday card a few weeks ago, and it said she will start to look for Beanie soon.
Thanks for sharing your story, and it's great to know that the yellow Baby Beans was as important to someone else as she was to me!