Holiday Preparations

Spaulding: We've been beary, beary busy preparing for the holiday season.... Teddy: ...and we're not even close to being done! Spaulding: It would probably help to let you understand a bit about Teddy Bears.... Axlerod: ...actually, all stuffed animals. Teddy: Didn't we 'splain that before? Spaulding: I thought we did?! Axlerod: 'Splain what? Teddy: Well, if we 'splain it now, we can figure out if we 'splained it before! Spaulding: Alright! All stuffed animals come under the heading of "Teddy Bears," like all equines, including Sheltand Ponies, and Klidesdales, and donkeys come under the heading of "horses." Axlerod: Equines! Good word! (The whole family is out here to help with the Blog this time.) :::::::::::::::::::::::::All nod their heads in solemn agreement:::::::::::::::::: Teddy: So, when we say "Teddy Bears," we mean all stuffed animals! Spaulding: Ah! I don't think we 'splained it like that before, although we did say that Teddy Bear World includes all stuffed animals. Teddy: Which gets back to what we wanted you to understand! Dee: Who's "you?" Teddy: Whoever reads our journal is "you." Ding: Who reads our journal? Spaulding: Well, we know some of our beary buddies from our e-group read it. (Click here to go to the e-group.) Teddy: And I bring Daddy to read it sometimes.... Axlerod: ...And, since it's on the Internet for all to see, chances are good that others are reading it. Spaulding: So, "You" is whoever reads it! ::::::::::::::::::::::::Dee and Ding have that little lightbulb over their heads going off as they understand:::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Teddy: So, YOU, most Teddy Bears--all stuffed animals--live in two worlds at the same time! Spaulding: Obviously, we live int he Peoples' World, where we are loved by people and love people back. Teddy: Then we live in Teddy Bear World, where we can go where ever we want, whenever we want, and rarely get hurt doing so. Valentine: Just in case you just became alarmed to know that we can, on a rare occasion, get hurt, it's time to 'splain that too! Lady: We have a strict law for Teddy Bear World that encompasses every thing we do, BUT the most importnat law is "we must get back into the exact position we were put in by our parents." Axlerod: We try beary hard to follow that law, but anyone who has ever owned a stuffed animal has seen us not make it! Spaulding: It's really obvious when we don't make it, but it seems every time we haven't made it, our peoples just think they misplaced us for a moment, and, when they find us, they just think they put us where they found us! Axlerod: But, the law is our most important law because of the possible consequences of our actions! Ding: You can tell Axlerod is old and wise by the words he knows! Con-sigh-quinches! Big, noble word! ::::::::::::::::Again, all nod in solemn agreement:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Axlerod: When Mommy was little, she wasn't the only one in her family with a favorite stuffed animal. My family back then was also a kitty cat that we called Andy, because his Daddy (Mommy's brother) dressed him up in Raggedy Andy's clothes. There was also a cat named for the material he was made from--Cordoroy--who belonged to Mommy's other brother. Later on, when Mommy's third brother was born, Grover joined our family as her younger brother's favorite stuffed animal. After Grover joined our family, we ended up moving around from place to place every year for a few years. Because Andy and Cordoroy were always sneaking around the house, they didn't always make it back to where they were supposed to be. I'm not sure what happened to them. They might still be with their Daddies, because their Daddies grew up and moved away during those moving years. BUT, they also might have gotten lost in the moves, sorta like The Jersey Devil got lost from his Mommy all those centuries ago! ::::::::::::::::::::::::All are thinking deeply about Axlerod's words:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: All: ZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz (Mommy wakes them up again. She does it beary softly, knowing that what Axlerod just said probably gave them bad dreams.) Spaulding: Ax, how did you and Grover end up with Mommy? Axlerod: Stuffed animals given to children have three possible outcomes. Most children actually outgrow their stuffed animals. They forget about Teddy Bear World and stop being able to communicate directly with their stuffed animals. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::There is a pause while the older stuffed animals cuddle the younger ones, because the younger ones are shivering in fear::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Teddy: Don't worry. Mommy and Daddy ARE grown ups and still refuse to outgrow us, so we don't have to worry about that. Axlerod: That's right. We all belong in the third group, and are beary lucky for that. The first group I was talking about, ends up in one of two places--they either live on a shelf or on the bed when it's made, but either way, they are treasured forever, if not hugged and loved like they used to be. Or, the second alternative, that scares most stuffed animals the most is that they are sold, given away or stored until the Mommy and Daddy have children of their own to give the animal to. Spaulding (shivering a little): What becomes of those stuffed animals? Axlerod: Well, you know Rocky Racoon and the blue caterpillar down in the basement with the Need-to-Be-Adopted Teddy Bears?! Spaulding (a bit confused): Yeah?! Axlerod: Mommy bought them at flea markets, so they used to belong to children! Teddy: Ohhhhhhhhhhh, that was good that they were bought then! (pausing to think just a little) BUT, how did you and Grover end up with Mommy? Axlerod: We're the third possible outcome. I went with Mommy to college and stayed with her after she rented her first apartment, but I was like the first group of stuffed animals, but with a twist. I spent my days all alone on her bed, but, when it was bed time, she'd hug me and give me my own fluffy pillow to sleep on right next to her bed. Dee: Oh, she still loved you, but didn't treat you as real as she does now?! Axlerod: No, I've always been real to Mommy, but with only one stuffed animal left--she used to have so many on her bed when she was a child that the last ones in the row, had to fall off the bed some time during the night--and because she was always busy doing grown up things like working and chores, she just didn't have as much time to play with me. That, and it's easier to play with two stuffed animals then one, so they can talk to each other like Spaulding and Teddy do. Ding: And Grover? Axlerod: Unlike Mommy, her brothers all did grow up and forgot about Teddy Bear World. Her youger brother--Grover's Daddy--is 11 years younger then Mommy, so Mommy thought that when he left for college, he just left Grover behind, because, well....errrrr..... Teddy: Because boy peoples have to act really tough and can't be seen with a stuffed animal. Daddy 'splained that to me! Axlerod: Oh, yeah, Mommy 'splained that to me way back when, but I didn't understand it, so forgot! Teddy: That's all right. I didn't understand it either and Daddy's not like that. Spaulding: Neither is Mawson's Daddy or Brownie and Holly's Daddy! Lady: I just think some peoples are comfortable enough to not worry so much what others think of them. :::::::::::::::::::::All nod their heads in solemn agreement:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Axlerod: After Mommy's brother was done college, he got a job that made him work 80-100 hours per week, so he had no time for Grover. Spaulding: Mommy says he's a chef! Valentine: Why is it that all of the boys in Mommy's family love to cook, but Mommy....well, she can cook, but doesn't even like to?! All: Kehehehehehehehehehehe Axlerod: Somewhere between the younger brother getting new jobs with less hours and getting cats and then dogs....Mommy got comfortable having Grover around and, well, just kept him. Teddy: Shouldn't she ask her brother if he wants Grover back? ::::::::::::::::::::::::They all turn around and look at Mommy, who simply asks, "Do you want Grover to leave?:::::::::::::::::::: Teddy: Nevermind! All: Kehehehehehehehehehehe Dee: But, Grandpa, aren't you going to tell us about that most important rule--"always end up back in the position you are left in?"! Axlerod: Oh. Right. I forgot. I don't know what became of Andy and Cordoroy, but they might have been permanently lost because they weren't found where they were left AND their Daddies were that age where they were forgetting about them. We all know what happened to the Jersey Devil, because he wasn't where he was supposed to be! :::::::::::::::::::::::All shiver as they remember the 200 years the Jersey Devil roamed The Pine Barrens alone, because his Mommy got hurt and her parents forgot to pick him up too. After a long time waiting for her return, he got hungry and went to get something to eat, only to not return back in time when his Mommy's parents went to find him.::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Spaulding: And then there is that Teddy Bear that Mawson knows, who roamed away and ended up being attacked by dogs, getting his legs chewed off, but, fortunate for him, his parents loved him enough to take him to a Teddy Bear Hospital that sewed on new legs for him! ::::::::::::::::::::Another chill hits them all::::::::::::::::::::::::: Teddy: Ut-oh! We got sidetracked again! Spaulding: Well, sorta. We wanted to tell about the two worlds Teddy Bears live in (some of us live in three, but that's a story for another time), but ended up telling the most important rule for Teddy Bear World! Teddy: The reason we wanted to tell You, was to tell how we've been busy. Dee: Our two worlds are connected! Ding: Yeah, like our favorite store, T.B. Max (Teddy Bears to the Max), is found in the peoples' store, T.J.Max! Spaulding: And, when it gets cold in peoples' world, it's cold in Teddy Bear World. Teddy: That's one of the ways we've become busy! We all had to put on our winter clothes! Axlerod Well, those who have winter clothes put them on. I'm keeping my favorite T-Shirt! Ding: And we used to have winter clothes, but Mommy made them out of her old clothes, so when she washed them, they fell apart! Lady: And it's just not cold enough for me to put on my fur coat yet, but I will when it gets cold! Dee: And, soon, Mommy is going to get out our Santa Claus caps! Teddy: We LOVE our Santa Claus caps! Axlerod (in his beary best Eeyore voice): for joy. For joy. All: Kehehehehehehehehehehe Valentine: Axlerod finds it undignified, but we insist, to get him in the Christmas spirit! Spaulding: And, Mommy helped us make a Teddy Bear size Christmas tree that's in the Peoples' World. Teddy: We can put it right behind the sofa she made us, which is right next to where the BIG Christmas tree Mommy and Daddy is going to set up will be. Spaulding: Mommy and Daddy were sick last Christmas, so never put up the big tree. Since Teddy and Valentine are less then 2 years old, they've never seen the house all decked out! Teddy: I just can't believe you can decorate a tree 4 FEET TALL!!!!!! Spaulding: And, all the stuffed animals in our group are getting together for Giving of Thanks Day, and we've promised to make canned pears with cream cheese and walnuts on top! Lady: AND, we're bringing the hot dogs! Valentine: AND we're bringing all the edible china and the edible almond sliverware! Dee: Plus, grandma says we can help decorate the house this year! Ding: She says she wants to bring out as much as possible, to make up for last year! Axlerod: I love watching the kids get this excited about Christmas! Spaulding: Who you calling kids?! Axlerod: All of us! All: Kehehehehehehehehehehe Teddy: And we figured out what to give Mommy and Daddy for Christmas! Spaulding (in his usually incredibly loud whisper): WE CAN'T TELL SINCE MOMMY HELPS US WRITE THIS AND DADDY READS IT SOMETIMES, BUT IT'S, WELL, IT'S JUST GRAND!!!! Dee: Am I allowed to mention that I heard grandma tell grandpa that they got us a present too? Ding (looking up in the air and whistling with an "I-already-know" expression): NO, we known NOTHING about it! Spaulding (looking at Mommy): We know where it is, but won't peak to see what it is! :::::::::::::::::::::::Dee and Ding frown, but then smile again::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Teddy: Well, we have to get ready for Giving of Thanks Day, sooo.... Spaulding: Why don't you say it, Axlerod? Axlerod: Sooooooooo, until next time....