Jun 13 2007
Poor George
My intentions were good. I thought I was being so helpful. O, foul wretch that I am, I never meant for this to happen.
Frankly, George stank. A lot. “He needs a bath,” I explained to his friend and owner, Scooby. I’ve given George a “bath” before and it was inconsequential. He came out sparkling clean and smelling less like… well… a two-year-old boy’s favorite toy.
George was given his name because, as far as Scooby is concerned, ALL monkeys are named George. He is my son’s beloved friend, confidant, and bodyguard. George can do no wrong. And I appreciate George too, because of the level of comfort that he gives to my Scooby, particularly during difficult transitions (moving from one home to another, for instance…). George is a constant companion, and sleep comes to a screeching halt when he’s missing.
It took much convincing for Scooby to allow me to bathe George. As you all know, reasoning with a two-year-old is an exercise in futility. Grudgingly, Scooby eventually allowed me to put George into the washer. But he was NOT pleased with me.
And thus, Gentle Readers, you can only imagine my horror when, upon opening the washer half an hour later, I found soggy bits of George, strewn here and there, no longer attached to each other.
George is dead.
I murdered him.
His cotton filling blood stains my hands.
Now he is dead, now he is fled, his soul is in the sky.
I shall take up this stuffed animal and bear him to the tomb.
And then… I’ll have to find a way to let Scooby know of his mother’s villainy.
There are likely to be many, many sleepless nights around here.
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Hopefully Scooby is too young to remember this trauma.
Oh, that’s harsh. I was at least 20 when I lost my Teddy Bear and I’m still not over it. Hopefully Scooby pulls through unscathed.
Any ideas as to how you will tell him?
Oh. No.
If I had a time machine, I’d SO go back and tell you to buy two of the guy! (It’s a trick I hear of quite often.)
The kids never had anything they wre really attached to. I’m glad for that.
I’m so sorry for George! Or actually, for Scooby. Good luck, doll!
I’m sorry. I hope it all works out and Scooby forgives your villainy.
Ebay, Ebay, Ebay ! Maybe you can find another similarly worn out George for Scooby.
I hope everything works out well !!
Blake is still very much a blankie boy (he’s jokingly called Linus by many). One day he was swinging it around and he was too close to the gas fireplace. It took just a second and part of Blankie was singed. Oh the horror.
Not exactly the same as he still has his blankie but I definitely understand a little boys attachment to certain items!
Duh, hee hee I’m supposed to be cheering you up and here I go talking about understanding a little boys attachment to things.
Yep that probably didn’t make you feel much better about the deed to be done (telling Scooby)
Yeah, I’ll just go back to my own blog now since i’m not doing any good over here.
Super Des,
Yeah, I hope so! I hope it doesn’t come up one day in therapy…
Paige,
No idea how to tell him. I may just leave the bits of George on the floor and let him figure it out… What? I’m supposed to be the grown-up? Says who?
Butrfly,
I will try from now on to buy two of everything! hahahaha. Brilliant strategy. I guess when he got this monkey pillow, it never occurred to me that he’d become so obsessed with it!
Carla,
Thanks! I hope so too!
Worker Mommy,
Yeah, RUDE!!! hahahaha. Just kidding! I love that you understand this attachment thing. Only one of my kids has been this way, so it’s pretty new to me. And maybe I’ve just broken his George addiction… I kinda wonder if he’ll find something else to be addicted to, or if there was just something about George. Hahaha.
OH NO! I hope that Scooby takes the news well!
DS1 has a blanket that he is very attached to. Lucky for us, we found its twin…JUST in case anything like this ever happened.
Good luck in breaking the news.
Poor Brillig.
We’re teething here, so you are welcome to call me during the many sleepless nights to come.
My boys don’t have loveys, yet, but I did. Had a big white polar bear. Had him up until Hurricane Katrina. Sometimes I think she came specifically after him. Poor me.
Poor Scooby. Poor George. Come tonight, Poor Brillig.
Run. Do not walk. RUN to the TOYS R US and you get that boy a new pillow! Anything he wants. ANYTHING.
You cannot wash the stain from your hands, but you can offer substitution for his precious friend.
In time he will forgive.
He will of course NEVER forget.
Poor, poor George. Sad, sad Scooby.
What is it with 2-year old smell anyway? I beg to wash Andrew’s special (think Linus) blanket daily because it is drenched in that smell….
My son shrieks whenever I put his “blankew” in the washer and is gleefull when I take it out of the dryer “My clean blankew” is the chorus heard for miles…if it were ever damaged there would be no sleep for days and days. We recently lost the green bink somewhere in the vastness of “the room” and we didn’t sleep properly for two days. I weep for you and you Scooby.
I did an internet search and sadly all Monkey Pillows I found fell short of Georgeness. I hope your son recovers quickly.
Oh, Brillig. Is there any way you can find a replacement via the internet? Once James lost his blankie in a taxi. He (and I) did not sleep much for a couple of weeks. I had thought he would eventually get over his grief, but it did not abate.
My mom finally sent me some flannel plaid from out your way (you can find $100-per-yard chartreuse silk dupioni in Manhattan, but NO plaid flannel at any price) and I made him a new one. I finished sewing it late at night and put it in his crib. The transports of joy the next day were pretty incredible.
Good luck!
oh noooo!! that’s terrible! maybe George needs a funeral.
I think a moment of silence is in order.
Okay, now that’s done. Sorry George. R.I.P.
By the way, you are welcome on my fantasy BlogHer jet plane. Josh Duhamel would be pleased to serve you.
R.I.P. dear George. Could the Lovey Fairy have come to rescue George from the cold, turbulent waters of the washer and liked him so much she kept him for herself? Just a thought.
RIP George.
RIP Brillig. I hope Scooby doesn’t inflict a slow and painful death on you. Good luck.
Oh man. What kind of mother are you? Don’t you know that you are supposed to handwash all of your childrens things until they are 18 and then you can try the washing machine? I’m just kidding. I hope at least George’s death was quick and that he will be remembered for the joy he brought to Scooby’s life.
Is George in any way replaceable? Through massive amounts on eBay perhaps? What about a trip to the zoo and he could get a stuffy from the gift shop when it was all over? I know the moosh would think that was awesome, she and Scooby have the two year old thing in common.
Poor Scooby…and poor Brillig for having to try to cope with it all (on top of all the -other- chaos in your life, eh?). Ugh!
My daughter’s favorite teddy recently gave up the ghost due to being loved to much his arms were tearing uo. We had a ceremony and put her to sleep in a box in the closet and bought a spankin’ new teddy that has the same name and looks pretty much like the original.
There is never a good time to become acquainted with death.
Oh no! Cache is attached to a little frog that sings and plays music - it totally got me through the “no more binky” stage. I have thought about buying another one just in case…now I know it’s probably a good idea. I hope your little guy is alright! If it helps, they have tons of those kind of animal pillows at Ikea for way cheap. He can pick out a brand new little buddy!
No other Georges in the world? You cans substitute? I’d be on a mad search…As a matter of fact, I’ve done that before.
Good luck.
You are not evil..
oh no…oh no…
I know exactly how bad this is going to be. My twins are both attached to this horrible blanket - that has been divided and divided into smaller scraps as we lose pieces of it. They call it ‘gigi’ and will NOT sleep without it.
You poor thing.
BUT YOU SHOULDA BLOODY HANDWASHED IT!!!!
I see the before pictures…but where are the after pictures?
Oh, say it isn’t so! Couldn’t you stitch him back together, pleeeeaaase! :O I am lucky–I’ve not had the pleasure of dealing with attachments, yet.
Put George’s pieces in a pillow case, run him through the dryer, get a needle and thread, re-stuff him, and put him back together.
This has been done for soccergirl’s best pal “Shelby” many times now.
Shelby looks like frankenstein, but is still well-loved, after almot nine years.
Oh woe is you. You could use my technique. When Q was wee she had Odo the clown (big stuffed pastel doll) and we took a flight London to San Francisco. I FORGOT the clown - that she could not sleep without. I called ahead to the Saks in NYC and they delivered a new one to the airport while we waiting to change planes.
Can you not buy another or piece him together?
Again, woe is you.
Holy crap! You are really, really in for it!
I was going to suggest ebay, too, but then the new George might be drenched in someone else’s two year old smell lol! Hope you got some sleep after this.
oh noooo!
my first son was so attached to his stuff toy too, named “daddoo”. we bought a new one for him when the original was ‘dying’ and obviously he knew the difference, but eventually I convinced him that his friend was tired and old and needed to rest, so he sadly gave in and called the new one “new daddoo”
i hope you both feel better!
RIP George and hang in there Scooby. Remember that which does not kill us, makes us stronger…to seek revenge for another day…lmao.
I’m new here, but thought I’d jump on because I feel your pain. We have a one-eyed Elmo in our house, wounded as he was after a similar bathing incident. Who knew cleanliness is next to homicide when washing machines are involved?
Awwwww, thanks everyone! You’ll be happy to know that last night went remarkably well! And that I salvaged enough pieces of George and sorta put them back together (seeing as how I have NO idea which box might contain needles and thread, I had to improvise!) and this buys me a little more time to see if I can find a replacement George! Thanks for all the love and worries and suggestions!
Uh oh. I feel your pain (although not poor George’s!) We’ve been trying to find a back up “blankie” for my youngest and I can’t find a duplicate of the darn thing anymore! So good luck with George!
When soccergirl was around three, we bought a stuffed dog that was identical to shelby as a backup…. we even tried to get ther to sleep with it a few times, just to get the smell right.
No dice.
The new creature, always referred to as “Melby” sits on a shelf in her room. Unloved.
I can only imagine what went through you mind when you opened the washer…Zander, who is also two, is crazy-attached to a blanket…or should I say blankets. My mother warned me early on to get backups! She went through the same thing with me when I was a toddler.
I’m so sorry for your loss. My thoughts are with you family at this difficult and most likely sleepless time.
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