Alex and her "Buddies"

My cousin Heidi's post got me thinking and I've decided to document my little girl's affinity/fascination with animals - stuffed or otherwise. It all started at about 12-months-old with "Wubbie" a little tan and white dog Grandma Dent gave her. He is still around, and is her most cherished to this day. He has been stitched so many times I'm surprised there is any stuffing left. About this same time came "Kuna," a little gray and white "half dog and half cat," (as she says) came into the picture. Then "Turtle" and "Puppy" and so on and so forth. The birth of the "Buddy Hole" (as she named it) came along to house her beloved creatures - a crevice at the head of her then headboard - free bed. We still haven't found a new "Buddy Hole" for this house, but we are trying different options. Two favorite new additions are the one prize from Disneyland - the white kitty from Aristocats - and the two dogs Uncle B gave her for her birthday.

She has moved on - somewhat - to live animals and, if left up to her, our house would be over-flowing with them. She explores them on the Internet and checks out books about them at the library. When she grows up, she wants to be anything and everything that has to do with animals (own a zoo, a pound, a farm and be a dog trainer and a Veteranarian, etc.). She diapers her stuffed friends and dresses them like babies, carries them to school in her backpack, sleeps with multitudes in her bed at night and carries them in mass droves about the house. A day never passes without seeing one in her hands and I can't imagine the day when I won't.