Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Bedtime Posse

Brogan takes quite an entourage to bed each night. It started out small enough, as I'm assuming most entourages do, and has slowly grown over time. I'm thinking it won't be long before we'll have to move him into a larger bed to accommodate him and all of his amigos. Please, allow me to introduce you to the crew:


Jirafe (second from left) started the party. He was actually the first stuffed friend ever given to Brogan. You may notice the star on his left foot...that signifies that he came with a star--yes, a real star--that we registered in Brogan's name. Sweet, right? Jirafe was a present from Grandma, purchased within probably 2 hours (if that) of her learning that she was going to be a Grandma for the first time. I love that about her.

Next, came Barry (center). He's a Build-A-Bear bear that we outfitted in Brogan's first Gator onesie. What I would have given to watch Grandpa go through the song and dance that is standard protocol at the Build-A-Bear Workshop. I bet it was priceless.

The next friend to join our group was the legendary Gerry (seated on Barry's lap). He came to us from one of my co-workers in New York, Lauren, long before Brogan arrived. Little did we know then what a constant companion and comfort Gerry would prove to be for Brogan. Let's just say, I ordered an extra "Gerry" and stashed him away in the event that the original Gerry meets an untimely demise. Lord only knows the drama that would follow such a catasrophe as that. It's unthinkable.

The smaller bear on the right is "Birthday Bear." My sweet Aunt Lisa sent him to us for Brogan's 1st birthday. He didn't actually join the posse right away, though. He used to reside somewhere random in the toy room but has since been promoted, for whatever reason, to a nighttime comrade.

Baby Alligator (who is actually a crocodile) hails all the way from the San Diego Zoo. Brogan's Godparents, Gene and Barbara, brought him back for Brogan after a family vacay to California. He has been going "night, night" with Brogan since the day he came home with us. He is the one cotton companion most likely to do a disappearing act in the wee hours of the night (or morning), usually because he slipped through the bed rails. Since Brogan is such a good boy, he doesn't get out of bed to retrieve him...No, no...He leaves that to Daddy or Mommy. Lucky us.

You may or may not have noticed earlier...but Jirafe is packing heat. Yes, that is a gun he's holding in his lap. A water gun, of course. That gun made it's way to Brogan's bed right around his third birthday after several nights of hysterics about "bad birds coming." To this day, I have no idea where this originated or what it really means. All I know is that giving him a water gun to shoot the "bad birds" away totally worked.

And finally, Monster (far left). This little guy was a present from our friends, the Holt family. The Holts hosted an Easter Egg Hunt this year and Monster was part of the goody basket that Mama Holt (aka Becca) sent home with each child. I wasn't able to go but I can only assume that it was one great Hunt since Brogan wants to remember it every night. That's the only thing I can think of when I look at that crazy little blue creature. You just never know what they're going to love, do you?

Taking all of these stuffed friends with him to bed, I think he feels less alone for the long stretch that is Nighttime. One day, he'll be too big for these friends and they'll be retired to a box somewhere in the attic, no doubt. (Sniff) But for now, they are his besties and snuggling in with them makes all the difference in the world.

1 comment:

brogan oberhaus said...

I'm 11 and I finally found it out. The original Gerry is gone. It has begun. the end is near.