“Daddy? Daddy? I need help.”
Jonny is 15, but he was using the tone of voice I have come to call his “secret weapon” voice.
You know, the voice that you just can’t say no to? The voice that wraps all his teachers and classmates around his little finger?
The one that gets his elementary school Paras to scale playgrounds to go down the slide with him because he’s too scared to go by himself?
The one that gets his classmates to volunteer to do ALL his work because it’s ‘too hard and he just needs a little help?’
Yeah. That voice.
You guys… Fox Hat broke. 😭
“Fox Hat” has been a staple Stim toy for Jonny for probably about a decade.
Jonny doesn’t go anywhere without one of 3 Stim toys. (Fox hat, Stuffed Darth Vader AKA “Darthy,” or string).
And when I say “everywhere,” I literally mean EVERYWHERE. If Jonny could bring toys to school, Darthy would certainly go with him. He brings a string instead. I won’t let him take Fox Hat (I don’t want him to lose it)
Darthy gets the most “love.”
Grammy has sewn “Darthy” up more times than I can count. And when Darthy gets too run down, we order another one…
We are on our third “Darthy.”
But Fox Hat is not something I can just order on Amazon
My sister-in-law crocheted Fox Hat for Jonny as a Christmas present probably around the time Jonah was born.
I doubt she thought it would get as much use as it has, especially without ever really being worn. Jonny played and stimmed with it so much, he completely wore through it in a few years.
So his Aunt made him another “Fox Hat.”
This is “2nd Fox Hat” and Jonny has now worn completely through this one as well.
It’s a special toy, made doubly so because it was hand-made with love and Jonny is sad because today it broke.
It’s interesting how our sensory and Ausome kiddos cling to such specific toys. They HAVE to have them at virtually all times.
It’s like if “happiness” were an object…
It drives us as parents to jump through any and every hoop imaginable to make sure our kids hold on to their “staple” toys… so they can hold on to their happiness.
(And we can hold on to our sanity)
So Aunt S., if you read this, and you are willing and able, I’ve got a sad puppy here who is killing me with his “Daddy, daddy, I need help” voice.
😭🙏
#ausome