The Story of a Girl and Her Bear

Well this is quite a long story. It begins back soon after Mia was born. She was given lots of lovely soft toys - some really different and unusual ones. I chose one little bear to pay more attention to, hoping he'd become a favourite. We named him Eddie after the Jez Albourough (?sp) books about the little boy Eddie and his teddy. He was a lovely soft little bear and I'd stroke her cheek with him if she was upset in bed. So she grew to love him - tonnes. Around Christmas time, she started grabbing him when she got out of bed and wanting to take him places. Not everywhere and she could live without him. Of course taking him out and about worried me that we'd lose him. She'd carry him around in her right arm, with her two fingers more often than not in her mouth as she does. Of a night before bed when she was really tired, she'd roll around on the floor with him. She'd always look for him when she got into bed. He was her most precious possession.

Here is a pic of him taken on Easter Sunday. It's not the best pic and I have others but this will do for now.
So move forward to Saturday April 14. We'd had a good morning - doing a few things in town - visiting FK in hospital with her new baby Ruby! Called in to see Jamie at the Tailrace Centre and B had a bit of a play at the new Kids Paradise. Came home and the girls had a sleep. In the arvo, we picked up Mum and Aran and went to the playground at Gravelly Beach and had a play etc.

We got home and everyone was pretty tired - Mia didn't have an afternoon sleep so was pretty tired. She made a huge fuss with her tea - so I went to the car to get Eddie. NO EDDIE. Nowhere to be found. I turned the car upside down - I just thought he'd be in there. Meanwhile upstairs Mia is screaming her head off and Jamie rings for me to get him a phone number (insert tearing hair out smilie here). So I ring Mum - knowing that we did go back inside at their house but I was pretty sure she didn't have him then. She sat on Dad's knee the whole time and I was sure he wasn't there. She went round to the playground. I continue to look getting more frantic by the second. Decide I can't hang around but I needed to go and look for him myself. So we get to Mum's and they are back - no bear. They looked everywhere but nothing. Thankfully Mum had a bear that was kinda similar - she was happy enough with him. You could tell that she knew it wasn't him but she was OK to give him a hug. So I go and look - zilch, zip, nada, nothing. We come home - she goes to sleep but is not very settled.

I of course am feeling like the worst Mummy in the world. How could I leave her prized possession somewhere, knowing just how much she loved him. Cried a few tears myself that night. I felt so sorry for this little bear to be out there all by himself - silly really but I just prayed that whoever had taken him would love him more than Mia. I was also angry - how could someone take home a bear that was obviously so well loved - and he stank!

The next morning I rang the local shop - nothing there either. So I'd gave up ever seeing our lovely Eddie again.

I emailed Tomfoolery (the maker) with the above photo and his tag name (Arnie) to see if they could help - and guess what? Help they did!!!! Tuesday afternoon they replied with 3 names of shops in town to try - who had bought "Arnie" in the past. So rang them I did - the first place I rang had tonnes of bears - would take her a day to look at all of them but she could order one in for me if needed. Great - fact one - we could order a specific bear (I couldn't remember if we used to do that at Birchalls or not with this company). Second shop - no they didn't have "Arnie" but they had just put an order in and they could add him to the order. Great - a step closer. Third shop - THEY HAD AN ARNIE!!! Oh my gosh - such excitement! This is what he said to me "i think we have him, there's great jubiliation going on here, let me look - YES WE HAVE AN ARNIE". By this time I was in tears - again lol. So they put him aside for me and i was going to go in the next day. But Jamie said - just go get him so i bundled the girls up and off we went.

So all the way in the car i was getting nervous - what if he was the wrong bear? what if she didn't really care anyway? So we walk in and there he is sitting up on the shelf - i couldn't see his face but I knew it was him. I said to this poor girl - "thats our bear can you get him for me?" - gave him straight to Mia. And she knew it was him - no doubt. She cuddled him just like she always did. Didn't matter to her that he was clean and considerably more pudgy than her loved squashed up version one. She was happy again. We couldn't get him off her to pay for him.

I was so relieved, and happy! It was so obvious to see that she had her bear back - i was telling mum in the car on the way to swimming and she was holding him out to mum and then cuddling him saying "awww". Its so cute to watch. All is well again in our house - my precious girl has her precious teddy back. I don't care that he's version two. I just care that my girl is happy again.