My DS's Christmas Letter

[JetMom]

My 9 year old DS, Johnny, has a little stuffed duck named Baby Duck. He has had him since his first Easter and is never without him. Baby Duck has been to WDW, Niagara Falls, Cub Scout Camp, everywhere Johnny has been. Needless to say 9 years of love and trips through the washing machine have left their mark on this poor little duck.

Last night Johnny came downstairs with a letter he had written asking Santa to please take Duckie back to the North Pole with him and use his magic to make him new again. I was in tears and at a loss as to what to do.

This morning I got an idea. i went to the bookstore and bought a copy of The Velveteen Rabbit. I am going to leave a letter from Santa with the book explaining to Johnny that if Baby Duck were fixed he wouldn't be real anymore.

Do you think this will work?

 

[preshi]

Awww I think thats a great idea...

 

[RUDisney]

I think that's a great idea!

He'll appreciate baby duck so much when he's older and can look back at what a special duck/friend he was during the years. All of that tatteredness is just a sign of love.

 

[katerkat]

Awww, that's a sweet idea. I still have my Toto - I got him for my first Easter and he has been trough soooo much, including a bout with my sisters and some nail polish. We can no longer wash him because his stuffing would come out, but I still treasure him! Just a little more gently now.

 

[justjulie]

That would work for me.

My seven year old has a Puff-a-Lump that is his best friend. Puffy used to belong to his 12 year old brother before being lovingly passed down. Puffy has been through hernia surgery, ear tubes and countless washings. Needless to say, he's a little worn. I bought a second one just in case something happened and, while he's "loved", my son can tell the difference the minute he picks them up. After 12 years of loving, it'll be just as hard on me when they decide to pack him away ...

 

[sorcerormickey]

Oh, what a toughie!

Reminds me of my Froggie. I got him the day I was born - and he went EVERYWHERE with us too! He used to wear a tuxedo, but that is gone, and his eyebrows are gone. I would never wish he was back to 'new' again!

Whenever I see/hear the Velveteen Rabbit, I think of Froggie. I'm sure that will help him out.

 

[bclydia]

What a wonderful idea! I'm sure that the Velveteen Rabbit will be all the more a treasured story because of Baby Duck and will help your DS understand how precious a good friend like a duck can be.

 

[aunties]

I wish I had thought of that idea when my nephew asked me for a New Mr. Bunnies. I had made him a stuffed bunny for his first Easter. It too went every where and through everything, from good to bad. When he was four, he asked me to make a new one. So off to the fabric store we went. He picked out the fabric that was close to Old Mr. Bunnies, and even hugged every bolt of satin for the ears. Well, New Mr. Bunnies is sitting in pristine condition at the top of his closet. As he says, when he has a child, he wants him or her to have a good friend like Mr. Bunnies. The original Mr. Bunnies is just a ball of stuffing - no arms, legs, eyes, ears, just a round ball of stuffing. And at the age of 16, Old Mr. Bunnies still has a place of honor on the shelf among my nephew's autographed baseballs. The New Mr. Bunnies never was real and never was loved. Hopefully, some day he will be. A new duck would never be loved as much. And, no matter how ratty or old Duckie is, he is always there to share both the good times and the bad.

 

[debster812]

Oh, the Velveteen Rabbit is my all time FAVORITE book. My mom bought a wonderfully illustrated version for me done by a local artist, when i had my son. She was going to wait and give it to us for his Christening, but I was a little 'post-partum-y' one day, and she gave it to me early.

DS did not have a stuffie he loved so much, but he did use a terry cloth bib. It was rubbed smooth, so the theory is the same. He loves the book now, and 'gets it'

I think you have a wonderful idea, and I think you have an incredibly treasured memory in the making.

Merry Christmas!

(make sure Santa's writing does not resemble anyone who lives in your house. he almost got busted in my house last year for using the same wrapping paper as mom and dad!!!!)

 

[JetMom]

Thanks for all of the support. I know that Baby Duck is a big part of Johnny's life and I hope the story will make him realize that every tear and patch and even the missing eye are all part of what makes him so special. Merry christmas!

 

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

Awww. Sweet little Johnny's little friend needs a safe place to call home. Maybe he could build a little house or something as part of a scouting project?

DD got a little lamb for her first Easter. She carried it everywhere, always looping her little finger through the satin tag. The poor little lamb, Lammy, didn't have a face after a year and the tag was nearly worn off. I was fortunate to find another the following Easter. She was smart enough at 22 months to figure out that it was not Lammy who was shiny and bright, but in fact an imposter who came to be known at Lampchop. She still has both lambs, and remembers them fondly at the age of 12.