Introducing "Mr. Penguin"

I wanted to introduce everyone to Gabriel's best friend in the world right now. Mr. Penguin! Mr. Penguin became part of our family after our trip to California this summer. My dad commented after we had spent an entire day at Disneyland that Gabriel didn't once ask/beg/whine to have anything. All the little booths filled with toys etc., he never asked to have any of it.

I hadn't noticed this, but when I thought about it I realized that he was right. A couple of days after Disney we went to Sea World. We spent the whole day there also and once again not a peep from Gabriel. One of the last exhibits we went through was the penguin exhibit. At the end of each animal exhibit they had a little gift shop. Go figure right?! So we are walking through this penguin gift shop and I see these penguins on a shelf. I picked one up and showed Gabriel and told him I thought it looked like Happy Feet.

Gabriel agreed and then said he wanted to have it. I looked and the price was $9.99 - not bad for a theme park toy. Grandma Johnson overheard him and took it up to the counter and paid for it. Since then penguin has rarely left his side.

It isn't as clean and fluffy as it was back in August, his white stomach is now a dingy grey. But Mr. Penguin goes everywhere with Gabriel. He brings it to the daycare in the morning. It always ends up in his box for the majority of the day - but Gabriel knows where he is and that he is "safe".

A couple of times Mr. Penguin has had to have a "sleep over" at the daycare because we forgot to get him from his box. Gabriel is always worried that he will be scared all alone. He has no problem leaving Mr. Penguin in the car when we go to church. This Sunday he left him at Grandma Smith's house to take a "nice rest" while we were gone. I think Gabriel gets some comfort out of knowing he is close by - even if he isn't right there by his side.

So that $9.99 was the best investment we could have made. He is Gabriel's buddy. He is covered in dirt, dried snow, dried dog slobber and has a warning on his tag that it can't be machine washed because of the beads inside. He is in desperate need of a cleaning - I know! But I am worried that if I try and wash him I might just ruin him and we would be in VERY big trouble.

For now we will just have to enjoy Mr. Penguin as he is. I know that Gabriel loves him just as he is and that is all that matters!