Loved To Death

Meet Birthday Bear. Or as Chris and I refer to it, Creepy Bear. He was a gift to Sam from his Great Grandma Sivard. When you squeeze the button on his paw the candles on his hat light up, his head tilts about, his mouth opens and closes, and he sings "Happy Birfday" (yes, I intentionally spelled that wrong - the bear can't say his "th). The whole thing reminds me of those anamatronic characters at Chucky Cheese's - which makes him creepy to me.

But not to the under 5 sect. Ever child who has come over since Sam's birthday was loved Birthday Bear. Every single one has smiled and giggled and made him sing again. At first Sam would drag him over to us so we could make him sing over and over and over again. Then we taught him to squeeze the bear's paw - mommy and daddy no longer required. But he still dragged the bear around the house. Sat the bear in his chair. Loved the bear.

And there in lies the problem. Birthday Bear isn't a true stuffed animal. He has a hard case holding the electronics, wires, lights, etc. Banging around on the hardwood floor has been rough on the bear. First one of the plastic "flames" popped off exposing a tiny little light. Then he started singing with a strange accent. Then two more "flames" popped off. Then he started singing slower...and slower...and slower. And then it happened.

Birthday Bear died.

Mommy and Daddy tried to revive him, but it wasn't the batteries and we couldn't get to all the wiring without destroying the exterior. So Birthday Bear sits quiet, dark and still.

Sam doesn't understand why his bear doesn't sing to him anymore. He started bringing him to us again, asking us to make him sing. We have to tell him Birthday Bear is sick and we show him that even Mommy and Daddy can't make him sing. But he forgets and tries again a little later. Its sad.

So Birthday Bear must go away now. Don't worry, Sam will be fine. It will be an "out of sight, out of mind" situation. Its just too sad to see him try over and over to make the bear sing. Birthday Bear is officially the first toy that Sam has Loved to Death. I'm sure there will be more to follow.