From the time KC was a very little girl, she's loved stuffed animals. She never liked or played with dolls even when relatives gave her rather expensive American Girl dolls, etc.
There was one particular dog she was especially attached too.
She named it Nenne Doggie. Nenne means sleep in Japanese. Nenne Doggie went everywhere with her.
When she came to Hawaii, we got her this little kitty too.
She became Nenne Cat.
Nenne doggie and cat became her comfort friends and would always be nearby.
Through the years, KC started collecting stuffed animals as more and more people gave them to her as gifts.
Yes, we did too.
When we went for our yearly visit last year, we were rather surprised at the quantity of little stuffed friends that were crowding out her bed.
A few weeks ago, 13 year old KC decided it was time to say goodbye to many of her friends.
KC bought this album so that she would always remember the stuffed creatures that were her friends throughout her little girlhood.
She then methodically set up each stuffed friend and took a photo of it.
She wrote how she got each animal at the top and then wrote the name she gave each one in a signature style she thought went with its personality at the bottom.
Gosh! I don't even remember getting her that moose on our Alaskan Cruise.
And this is just a handful of pages. There are many more.
After all the stuffed friends were recorded carefully, almost all of them were put into three bags and given to a teacher friend they knew who will be using them in her classes. Knowing my daughter and granddaughter, all those stuffed animals are in pristine condition... well, except for Nenne Doggie and Nenne Cat, but she didn't give those away.
And at last, KC now has a bed she can truly spread herself out on.
At least until she accumulates more friends, that is.
She named it Nenne Doggie. Nenne means sleep in Japanese. Nenne Doggie went everywhere with her.
When she came to Hawaii, we got her this little kitty too.
She became Nenne Cat.
Nenne doggie and cat became her comfort friends and would always be nearby.
Through the years, KC started collecting stuffed animals as more and more people gave them to her as gifts.
Yes, we did too.
When we went for our yearly visit last year, we were rather surprised at the quantity of little stuffed friends that were crowding out her bed.
A few weeks ago, 13 year old KC decided it was time to say goodbye to many of her friends.
KC bought this album so that she would always remember the stuffed creatures that were her friends throughout her little girlhood.
She then methodically set up each stuffed friend and took a photo of it.
She wrote how she got each animal at the top and then wrote the name she gave each one in a signature style she thought went with its personality at the bottom.
Gosh! I don't even remember getting her that moose on our Alaskan Cruise.
And this is just a handful of pages. There are many more.
After all the stuffed friends were recorded carefully, almost all of them were put into three bags and given to a teacher friend they knew who will be using them in her classes. Knowing my daughter and granddaughter, all those stuffed animals are in pristine condition... well, except for Nenne Doggie and Nenne Cat, but she didn't give those away.
And at last, KC now has a bed she can truly spread herself out on.
At least until she accumulates more friends, that is.
A kind of poignant transition, but what a great idea to record them like that. And picture #2 has got to be the cutest.
ReplyDeleteIsn't that lovely! That sounds like something my grandies would do! Our eldest is nearly 12. It's hard to believe!
ReplyDeleteHow sweet, I love this and seeing what she named each one! Thanks for sharing this with us and thank her for us!
ReplyDeleteThat is such an adorable story.
ReplyDeleteWhat a clever and also generous girl your sweet granddaughter is!
ReplyDeleteHow clever to make the photo album of all her treasures and how sweet to donate the real ones so that they could brighten someone else's day. She is a chip off the Grandma block.
ReplyDeleteShe definitely takes after her grandmother! What a wonderful & creative way to keep her memories & a very generous young lady.
ReplyDeleteThe wonderful thing is that she’s always been a thoughtful, generous child from a very, very young age. Have a fabulous Thanksgiving tomorrow, Patty and Paul.
ReplyDeleteI am in awe of the creativity of this, and I love that each of her sweet cuddly critters will be repurposed by others. Thank you for sharing this story, Kay. :-)
ReplyDeleteWhat a special special granddaughter! So very sweet.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful way to remember her stuffed animals. Glad she kept her favourites.
ReplyDeletethis is so sweet! and it seems she has inherited your ability to chronicle things in photo albums! happy thanksgiving kay!
ReplyDeleteSuch a sweet story.
ReplyDeletehow sweet and creative she is, making childhood memories that will last forever
ReplyDeleteI love this post! what a great idea to remember her "friends" and then pass them forward.
ReplyDeleteI hope she doesn't regret it.
ReplyDeleteI doubt she will regret it because she kept her super favorites and she was happy to share.
ReplyDelete