RIP Box the Fox

Joanna has a very beloved stuffed animal. It's a fox sent to her by Uncle Andy & Aunt Erin for her first birthday. Since about April, they've been inseparable. Here are some pictures from the last month or so of Jo with her favorite friend:

We originally named the fox "Tod" after the Disney movie, "The Fox and the Hound." Joanna calls the fox "Box," so the name stuck. He is Box the Fox.

She has a habit of leaving Box in weird places. When she asks for Box, or when it is bed time, I often end up in a mad dash to find the fox. I've found it in the hamper, in the swing, in the high chair... just anywhere!

Well, today is officially the first time Box the Fox cannot be found. I have looked everywhere I can think of... even outside under bushes. I've dug through garbage, searched in cabinets, stuck my hand down vents... Box is gone. To me, it is extra heart-breaking because Box is the one consistent thing for Jo during all of the moves we've been doing. From our house to Grandpa Larry & Grandma Judy's house to Grandpa Paul & Grandma Colleen's house to our vacation in Utah and back to Grandpa Paul & Grandma Colleen's house, Box the Fox has always been there.

We ordered a new fox. The same kind is on sale at Jacob's Room for $5.43. So, I ordered the $5 fox, and then I paid $18 in shipping to get it here in two days! That is $18 shipping on a $5 animal... and part of me feels guilty about not spending the $50 to get it here tomorrow!

So, RIP Box the Fox. In two days, we will welcome Box 2.0.

Crochet Stripy Giraffe

One of my very best friends is expecting! I've been combing Pinterest for gift and shower ideas for her, and I found the cutest stuffed giraffe to crochet. The pattern is available for free from I Love Buttons by Emma. A few times, the math on some of the decreasing rows didn't add up, so I had to get creative in figuring out what I was supposed to do. I think it turned out well!

Here's my finished giraffe. I accidentally sewed the giraffe's head on a little sideways, but then I decided it looked cute this way and left it as it was.

I decided the giraffe needed a tail, so I made one. It looks like a lion's tail. Don't laugh.

I used materials I had on hand for this little guy. It was a nice way to use up all those random bits of yarn I had lying around.

It's the first crocheted stuffed animal I've ever made. It was a lot of fun, and I was so pleased with how everything was coming along. So, I took in progress photos. Haha. Man, am I glad I live in a digital age. I don't have to feel bad about taking pictures of basically everything.

The finished head and the arms and legs:

I got a kick out of stuffing the body and decided to take a photo of my headless giraffe.

My plan is to make a tricycle diaper cake for the shower. I found a tutorial for one here. I'm going to put the giraffe up on the tricycle. It'll be a cute and creative center piece.

Animal Cage 2.0

A year and a half ago, I created a game for Oliver called "Animal Cage." He was in his crib then. He'd throw his stuffed animals out of the crib at us, and we'd throw them back on him. He loved it and would be in fits of laughter.

As he's gotten older, "Animal Cage" has gotten more sophisticated. It's still one of his favorite games, and Jo gets in on the fun, too. We built a fort on my bed out of pillows. Then, I gently toss his stuffed animals at him over the fort. I make the animals noises as I do it. Once all of the animals are on the bed, Oliver throws them back and makes animal noises for each one. Jo thinks it's hilarious and laughs at his antics.

Here's Oliver playing Animal Cage 2.0:

                                     

Some still shots:

What a fun toddler/preschooler game!

100 (Attempted) Ways to Entertain a Young Toddler, Day 13: Animal Cage

Help me! It's only day 13, and I'm struggling to find ideas that I think are suitable for Oliver. This is going to be even more difficult than I thought!

I've actually done today's activity once before. Two weeks ago, Oliver was struggling to sleep at night, possibly from a minor ear infection. He fought his nap, too, and so we moved his nap from the mattress on the floor to the crib. He'd cry for half an hour and then finally sleep. Whew! Anyway, when I was trying to get him to not hate his crib, I created a game. He had a lot of fun with it, and I decided to bring it back today for the blog.

All you need is a crib, a toddler, and some stuffed animals.

I plopped Oliver in the crib and lowered his railing. I know: we're terrible, and you're not supposed to use cribs with drop-sides anymore. Try being five feet tall. Even with the drop-down side, the crib is too tall for me.

OK, so Oliver is in the crib. I grab his animals. I yell, "One... two... THREE!" and on the count of three, I throw one into the crib. That's it.

Oliver laughs as I throw his animals in the crib. Sometimes, he throws them back. Other times, he drops them over the edge. Usually, though, he wants me to walk up and take them out of his hands. I get creative with my tosses, too. Sometimes, I throw them under my leg, or backwards and over my head.

I have to admit, the activity is exhausting for this pregnant lady. He likes it so much, though! When I feel like I've had enough (I tire of this game before him), I tell him, "Last one!" and then I throw the last one in. He still wasn't thrilled the end the game, but he handled it fairly well.

If I was basing the grade of this game just off of his enjoyment, I'd give it an A. It's also an easy set up and free. The downside is that it's tiring throwing animals into a crib, walking back and forth to grab them from my favorite little toddler, and picking them up off the floor. Fifteen minutes, and I'm done! Because I'm considering myself (mothers aren't going to do activities that exhaust them all the time), I'm going to give this activity a B+.