That Darned Puppy!

If any of you have had this toy for your kids, you may know what I'm talking about. That dang Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Puppy.

When we got this thing, I hated it. It went off by itself. One of our cats walked by when it was in a bag, in the original packaging and it still started talking.

One morning I was home alone with my daughter and I heard it downstairs. It scared the crap out of me. My daughter was only about 3 months old, so it wasn't entertaining her that much, anyway. So eventually I hid it.

What makes my dismay even funnier is that my sister-in-law had one for my niece (6 weeks older than my own) and gave it away. And then, get ready, someone ELSE gave them one! That crazy puppy kept coming back!

I thought it was hilarious that she wound up with a second one. I guess I am paying for laughing at her expense, because our puppy seems to have come back to life! Over three years later, my daughter pulled him out of her crib (which we took apart the other night to remove from her room - but that's a whole other story for another day) and I snatched him up, and moved him to the guest bedroom.

Then this morning she asked for 'the other snowman,' she has two, from two years ago, that she loved. How she even remembered there was a second one, I have no idea, since they both haven't been played with in ages. I went to the back bedroom, grabbed snowman and tried to move quickly. I, at age 37 (or am I 38 yet? I don't think so ...) am not quick enough to beat out a 3 year old. 'I want all my friends,' she whined.

Fine. Fine. I grabbed all of said friends and brought them into her room. Puppy among them. Grumble grumble. But a respite! I'm saved! Puppy isn't working! I tell her his batteries must need to be changed. [Do you tell your kids that batteries are dead? It's so morbid sounding, isn't it?] I turn my back to her while she plays.

I'm putting away some of her new PJs and other random items I got from the crazy sale online at The Children's Place. (I <3>

Sonofab!tch. He's alive. She found the on-off button. You have GOT to be kidding me. It's so hidden I honestly had NO idea that he even HAD one of these for the first months we had the thing. A former friend mentioned it to me, and I immediately called my SIL that afternoon to tell her. No worries, as she had already gotten rid of the second one. Don't worry. She's not cruel. She didn't throw them away. She just passed them along to unknowing friends in need of new baby toys. OK, well, maybe she is cruel. I don't think so, though. She was just paying it forward, in my opinion.

But remember, if anyone gives you one of these, hide it! FAST!
Anyway, the puppy lives on. Damned thing. Now hopefully one night soon I can find him, hide him, and then have a quick rendezvous with a screwdriver. But shhh ... you didn't hear that from me.

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