Monkey & Lion

I'm not sure how it happened, but awhile ago, our girls became very attached to two stuffed animals.  Monkey and Lion were first birthday gifts given to them by our friend Corey.  We thought they were adorable way back then, but had no idea they'd become such an important part of our lives.  I know that sounds ridiculous, but it is what it is.  Anyway, they used to stay in the girls' bedroom and were only part of the nighttime routine.  We'd usually say something like "it's time to go see monkey and lion" and the girls would scurry to their beds.  At some point, that changed and these little friends started coming downstairs.  Although it's kind of a pain to search for them before nap and bedtime, we choose our battles around here.  Not so long ago, Monkey and Lion began taking car rides with us, too.  They don't always make it out the door, but when they do, we have to be vigilant that they don't get left anywhere.  Last weekend, we arrived home after attending a party and realized we couldn't find Monkey.  Panic . . . deep breathe. . . search . . . panic . . . deep breathe . . . search.

I knew my in-laws were at a wedding, but in desperation, I called anyway.  As I left a message willing them to find that monkey, I realized we were in big trouble.  Our kids are officially attached to inanimate objects. I hung up the phone, dreading the nighttime routine without monkey.
Thankfully, I took one more look upstairs and found Mia's beloved friend.  I don't know that I've ever been so relieved in my entire life.  After tucking our girls and their stuffed animals into bed, Mate and I agreed it was time to buy back-ups.  Replacement stuffed animals arrived after a few days of searching online and a few more dollars spent than I'd like to admit.  We can breathe easily knowing that they will be hidden away in case the originals get lost or fall apart.  Hopefully, the girls won't notice when that time comes.  I never thought we'd feed into this sort of attachment, but here we are.