Sam: The Friends

A quick post tonight. Hockey is too distracting.

As I type this, I can hear Sam lecturing the Friends upstairs.

The Friends are composed of Brown Puppy, Other Puppy, Train and Bus, all stuffed toys. Brown Puppy is the alpha male of the group. While Bus and Train are sometimes hurled from the bed every night, Brown Puppy always remains in the honoured spot next to Sam's pillow.

With leadership comes great responsibility. Brown Puppy is often admonished on behalf of the entire group. "I am NOT happy with you. NO SPITTING." Last week, Surly Husband listened over the monitor as Sam went into great detail explaining how his upcoming birthday. "There's going to be CAKE and then I'm gonna get PRESENTS."

Most mornings, the Friends are collected and brought to the top of the stairs, where they are launched into the air. Depending on Sam's mood, they may lie at the bottom of the stairs all day until bath time, at which point it is my job to try and throw them to the top of the stairs. This often results in several minutes of hilarity, mostly for Sam and Surly Husband, at my pathetic attempts to get each stuffed toy to clear the top stair.

Liv's newfound mobility has changed things. Liv's giant bug eyes follow Sam's every move. Anything beloved to Sam generates great interest. While Sam forgets the Friends at the bottom of the stairs, Liv quietly worms her way over to them. She is most attracted to Bus and Train, no doubt because of their bright colours. When she reaches them, she joyfully embraces them, rolls on her back, gums them with abandon.

Sam seems to have a sixth sense when Liv is touching one of his toys, and he'll come tearing around the corner like a Nazgul, snatch the Friend away with an ear-splitting "NO LIV", leaving his poor sister stunned and Friendless, her lower lip trembling.

Liv has a long way to go before she gets to join this exclusive club, but she'll get in a few slobbery kisses in the meantime.