Morning madness with a child’s best friends!

Meet Leap and Mankie (blue blankie), Byron’s ‘friends’...

These aren’t just any ordinary friends...they are his new best friends (well Leap is anyway. Mankie has been around the traps for a good few years now).

A little bit of history...

Mankie (called this by Byron who could never quite get a grip of the term blankie) was purchased by my mother for Byron when he was first born. When he was old enough, he would grab the bunnies little ears and just rub them. Eventually, I attached his dummy to Mankie (with one of the dummy chains) and he became the crux for sleep time. I couldn’t leave the house without him. As a safety net I purchased two more, so he had three exactly the same. This was great when they needed washing and enabled us to have a couple on hand at all times.

For 2 years, Mankie went everywhere and then one day around his second birthday, it all stopped. Mankie was no longer treasured! He (all three of them) just lay on his bed, unloved and gathering dust for about 3 months. Then one day, without warning, he was cherished again (I’m not really sure what caused the falling out – guess I will never know). However, the relationship was a little different. There became a stand out favourite of the three Mankie’s...the "real Mankie". The real Mankie (To this day, Trevor and I can’t work out how he knows the difference...one touch is all it takes...there’s no fooling Byron!) travels in the car – but stays there when we go out. He sleeps in bed with Byron and watches TV with him too. There are days more the others, where Mankie is more appreciated; when he needs to come in the car, must watch TV and sit with him at the dinner table. However, at the end of the day (what ever the day), without fail, Mankie must be tucked in to bed with Byron; he is truly loved.

Next there is Leap (My Own Learning Leap by LeapFrog). For 12 months Leap was just sitting on his book shelf; I guess waiting for the day when Byron would show him some interest. That day came about a month ago. Byron just picked him up pressed his on button and that was it.

I think that Leap is an absolutely adorable toy (he is definitely one of my favourites). I was excited when I purchased him from the USA some 12 months ago, in anticipation for the day he would be played with (as a parent though you often get excited over a toy that your child will never show any interest in). He teaches valuable lessons about sharing, manners and friendship through songs, stories and games. He has a microphone attached that enables us to record our own voices, Byron’s name and his interests, which Leap then uses in his stories.

Whilst Leap doesn’t generally leave the house, he is always present with Byron, whether that be on the floor watching TV, in his room playing – where there's Byron there's Leap! Byron has developed a special relationship with him that is just so cute to see.

Last night...

Last night was no different then most nights. When Byron went to sleep, the following had to be tucked in too...

Leap Mankie (all three of them)
Sam (his Little Mommy doll)
Eddie (his Little People learn to dress friend)
Elmo x 2 (potty elmo and baby elmo)
Baby Pooh (glows in the dark)

(You think that’s a lot...some days Buzz joins the slumber party and his ‘Cars’ McDonalds toys too).

Byron sleeps in a toddler bed, so after all ‘his friends’ are tucked in there is barely enough room for him. The suggestion to take a few out doesn’t exactly go down to well if you know what I mean. So, when Byron falls asleep we take everything out of his bed leaving just Mankie, and put them on the floor next to him.

Normally, he never really notices but last night was different. Byron woke up crying (really quite distressed) at some ungodly hour because he could not find Leap (which we had taken out of his bed earlier that night and put on the floor; hence the reason he could not find him). So at 2.45am I found myself re-tucking him and Leap back into bed (I had to make sure that Leap was tucked in tight so he didn’t go away again!).

Needless to say we won't be taking Leap out of bed again (especially if it means a 2.45am wake up call!)

Byronism of the day...

My sister and I were in the car with Byron today after we had picked him up from kindy. He was getting excited by something he had seen. When we asked what it was he was looking at he said... "look over there where my finger is pointing!". LOL my sister and I had absolutely no idea what he was talking about.