Stuffed Animal Fetish

Since Caleb was very little, he has been crazy about stuffed animals. We already had a good amount when he was born thanks to his older brother, but after he joined our family, we have been bombarded by them. He particularly liked the beanie babies. He would always have an armful with him wherever we went. He couldn't take just one. Checking on him at night, I would have a hard time finding his little head among the ton of animals in bed with him. When my parents came to visit one day, they wanted to take the boys to Toys R Us so they could pick out whatever they wanted. Spoiling their grandchildren to death is a grandparent's prerogative, so we all went trooping to the store. Justin was very little at the time and had fallen asleep in the van. Opting to stay with the baby, everyone else went into the store, and I kicked off my shoes and basked in the quiet. So, I heard about what happened from my husband. I had told my parents beforehand that Caleb would enjoy a stuffed animal. I'm sure they believed me, but it was quite another thing to see it firsthand. They went directly to the stuffed animals section of the store and Caleb immediately spied the biggest stuffed alligator you've ever seen. It was taller than him. He took it and started rolling around on the floor with it. My parents asked, "Caleb, would you like to look around some more and see if there is anything else you would like better?" Looking at him rolling around on the floor having the time of his life, the answer was a definite no. Caleb is seven years old now and he still loves stuffed animals, but the craze has subsided a little. Now, he holds his live guinea pig while watching The Wonder Pets. I wouldn't be surprised if he became a veterinarian someday.