Shep is a second child. And I’m ashamed to say that he owns very few things. We got all this stuff during the first few years of Neko’s life because she needed them first. And they aren’t really hers, as we often say, they “belong to the whole family.” But let’s be honest, she’s the one who plays with them. And Shep’s not really a “thing” guy. He loves that guitar and a ball of any kind. But he’s not often particular about which ball he has, and Neko just doesn’t really care about the guitar.
For the last two nights Shep has asked to sleep with Neko’s Woody (the character from Toy Story, people). I’ve had to stealthly sneak it out of her bedroom while she isnt looking, because even though Woody isn’t in heavy circulation at the time, the minute she discovers Shep wants him, she then demands him back. This is the first time he’s really ever expressed a desire for a thing, so when Tom called from Chicago saying he wanted to bring something home for the kids and he happened to be standing in the Disney store, I had an Oprah lightbulb moment. It was time for Shep to have his own Woody. And Jessie.
Tom didn’t really have to buy one, though, because when they became big favorites of Neko, I ordered another set because they were limited edition and they don’t make that kind anymore and it always pays to have a back-up. So when he arrived home, I just had to get the box from the basement.
This was tough for Neko. She really wanted Shep’s new Woody. She offered that he could have hers and she could have the new one. But we stuck by our guns, and she ultimately conceded.
And tonight, Shep snuggled in with his new Woody and Jessie. His very own, with “Shep” written across the bottom of Andy’s boot.
