Most mothers decorate their baby girls rooms in pastels. However, my mother chose bright colors, particularly red, blue, and yellow to decorate my nursery. My theory is she was holding out for a male child. She wanted to give my dad a son so badly she endured labor again so she could. My father was so excited my mom was having an "heir" he bought her a Gunnysak dress, which we still have and I wear 26 years later.
To compliment the bright colored sheets, baby blankets and clown wall hanging (I HATE CLOWNS) my mom also gave me a Winnie the Pooh bear, which she later sold at a yard sale along with my Ronald McDonald doll. I will never forgive her for either.
To fill the Pooh void in my life, the summer before my Senior year in High School I bought current Pooh (photo left) from the Disney store for my 17th birthday. I consider this to be one of the most ingenious investments I have ever made for several reasons.
Pooh is the best listener ever! He has been through everything with me and through it all he just smiles.
There are mascara smears all over his butt a result of a decade of disappointments. He has been the most consistent and comfortable bedfellow I have ever had. In fact, when you turn Pooh upside down and sleep on his butt he makes the perfect pillow. This also explains the mascara stains on his backside.
Pooh has been just about everywhere I have been; traveling to UT, KY, GA, FL, DC you name it. If I've been Pooh has too. He doesn't even need a car seat. He can actually wear a seat belt which makes him toddler Pooh; not baby Pooh.
So why am I blogging about Pooh? Well, two weeks ago we reached a milestone in our relationship. After ten years of being with Pooh I gave him a bath. I know the thought of sleeping with something for ten years without putting it in the wash is pretty disgusting but I was really worried something bad would happen if I did. You know, maybe his stuffing would come out or maybe his hair would fall out. You never know. So I waited. TEN YEARS. No one is ever allowed to refer to me as impatient EVER again.
Anyway, as the photo depicts Pooh is looking and smelling better than ever. He did such a good job throughout the wash and dry cycles that I couldn't resist bragging about it. Instead of being Dirty Old Bear, as Christopher Robin always said, Pooh is back to being just a, "Silly Old Bear."