Adventures with Duffy

Duffy is the class teddy bear in Liesel's Kindergarten class. He's originally from Disneyworld and each student gets to take him home for a week during the school year. Duffy even shows up in the class photo. He has a little duffel bag with his pajamas and he has a journal where students can either draw or post pictures about their time with him. In Kindergarten terms, it's kind of a big deal when it's your turn.

Liesel's turn rolled around and I was still in a haze of post-South-Africa-getting-my-act-togetherness. I flipped through the journal and my heart sank when I saw that Duffy has been on family vacations around the country. He's been to the Wisconsin Dells. He's been to the top of the Sears Tower. He's been camping and fishing and he's been on a go cart. Duffy has eaten at many fine restaurants, seen many, many movies and gone to just about every kid-friendly venue in all of Iowa City. I could think of nothing that would make Liesel's time with Duffy special and unique.

First Liesel took him out to swing in the backyard:

Then she wrote his name in chalk on the deck:

Next she took him to play in her coloring castle:

Since it's March, Duffy checked his brackets:

Just when I'd resigned myself to being the super lame-o mom (although I give myself props for including the tiny basketball in that last photo), Liesel begged to take Duffy with her to dance. Normally I'd say no but I was feeling bad about Liesel's time with him and figured it couldn't hurt. Then one of her fellow dancers recognized Duffy from when she was in Kindergarten.

Then I remembered the girls were working on their dance routine which uses *drumroll* teddy bears as props! Liesel's teacher was perfectly happy to let her use Duffy. Ah YES! No one else in the class had ever taken Duffy to dance class. Liesel's journal page wasn't going to be so lame after all.

Liesel and I both slept happily knowing Duffy had a good time at our house.

Phew!