Whose Bear Is It, Anyway?

Blogging Friends.... I appreciated all of your sweet birthday comments and wishes!! I feel so very loved!! Your comments were witty, heartfelt and encouraging all rolled into one cosmic "computer hug"!! Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you!! I enjoyed myself a happy, low-key birthday!! {Well? You cannot do much when you're still overcoming a right knee injury!! Skydiving and bungee jumping were out of the question!! Not that I wanted to leap from any high locations....} My sister-in-law--who has already passed her "big 3-0" birthday--told me that she did not feel any different after reaching this "milestone". Me? Four days into thirty, I feel--almost in a spiritual sense--reborn somehow. Huh. And I thought that, after my life was mysteriously impacted by Tony Stark/Iron Man I already was reborn....

I am long overdue for Rose-related stories. So here is one. Enjoy!! {Sorry this is being posted one day late. My attention deficit disorder completely took over while writing, then that crazy head of mine evolved legs and ran away on several occasions!! Excuses, excuses, excuses....}

 

"Amethyst", my nearly two-year old niece, had told Rose, in a bossy, sassy toddler voice to stay away from her sandy-colored, velvet-soft, fluffy plush teddy bear. Rose's ebony nostrils were merely sniffing the stuffed animal. Only "Amethyst" comically phrased it this way. "No, Wose!! Dat mine!! Dis yours," as she picked up Rose's lime green Lamb Chop toy to show my canine the difference in ownership. Hmmm. That sentence sounded all too familiar. "Amethyst" was copying what she had heard me tell her countless times whenever Rose's saliva-stained stuffed animals looked enticing. I would then tell "Amethyst" something to this effect. "No, that's Rose's toy!! Go find Monkey!! That is "Amethyst's" toy. Huh. You truly need to watch what you say around nearly two-year old children!! It can come right back like some boomerang!! "Amethyst's" stuffed animal was from Build-A-Bear. Inside its cotton fluff body, is this heart-shaped sound-maker. Unbeknownst to us!! Apparently, it created a faint rhythm. "Amethyst" had brought the bear over with her last Thursday to our house. You know what? I was attempting my very best to keep "Amethyst's" teddy bear away from Rose's reach. I sat it on our red great room couch. Or my Mom's cedar chest. Locations where "Amethyst" could still play with it. Which, she did!! "Amethyst" happily removed her teddy bear from these such locations. Every. Freakin'. Time!! Then, what with chasing after my energetic niece practically one-legged due to this still-healing wrenched right knee, I unintentionally forgot about the teddy bear and gave up trying. Not a good idea!! Because one minute I was entertaining "Amethyst". And the next? I turn around to witness Rose contentedly chewing on "Amethyst's" sandy-colored, velvet-soft, fluffy plush teddy bear's arm as though she owned it!! "Rose, no!!" I patiently scolded my mutt. I picked up the most likely expensive Build-A-Bear. Not only was its arm drenched in doggy saliva. The head felt wet, as well. Heaven only knows how long Rose had been chewing on it!! Thankfully, she is not destructive with toys!! I glanced at a clock. It would be time to drive "Amethyst" home soon. I then asked my Mom if we had time to throw the now saliva-smelling teddy bear in our washing machine. No. But we threw "Amethyst's" teddy bear into the washing machine, anyway, and kept it for a few days. She will not miss her stuffed animal? Right? It was when my youngest brother pulled it out of the dryer--as an excitable Rose jumped up for "her" teddy bear--that we noticed the concealed heart-shaped sound-maker. Oh no. What if the teddy bear had a personalized "I love you" message, and, after going through our washing machine, we broke it? Or worse. What if it contains "Amethyst's" heartbeat? However. I rationalized with this. "Amethyst" would have pressed its chest. Toddlers love noise-making toys!! I think it was already broken!! I even thought this. If it did have "Amethyst's" heartbeat, then they shouldn't even let her play with it. Yet, I still felt immensely guilty. After all. None of this would have even occurred had Rose left "Amethyst's" teddy bear alone!! And when Rose gets in trouble, I tend to put myself "in the doghouse". No clue why!! I also made excuses for Rose. It was down on her level.... As far as she knew, I just bought her a new toy!! On the bright side? "Amethyst's" teddy bear was even softer and smelled laundry-fresh!! Twain days later. Our brother, sister-in-law and nieces came over to celebrate my "big 3-0". I am working on accepting this age!! So we returned "Amethyst's" teddy bear. All was easily forgiven by my sister-in-law, which, I knew would be. Whew!! Then, later on, I picked up "Amethyst's" teddy bear. Its heart had sunk to the tummy. And everyone knows that this organ does not belong there!! So. I was "playing surgeon" and attempting to push "Amethyst's" teddy bear's heart back into its chest. But before I could. I felt it!! The heart!! It was literally vibrating in my hand!! Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump. I could even hear a faint sound!! Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick!! I was so very excited!! It felt as though I had just witnessed a miracle or something!! By the way? I never did push "Amethyst's" teddy bear's heart back into its chest. But what a resilient stuffed animal!! First it survived Rose's chewing. Then our washing machine. And it still works?!