Bats and The People Who Love Them

Last Friday we did some yard saleing. I've never been much of a garage saler, but in the spirit of thrift and reuse, I thought that hey, maybe someone else's trash really will be my treasure.

I haven't been disappointed. Nor has Monica.

We found a particularly interesting yard in the midst of a subdivision wide sale with some great kid stuff. While I picked through some fare on the tables, Monica found a large trunk of 50 cent stuffed animals. I'm not really big on used stuffed animals, or other used plush objects that are difficult to wash, but since she was being a good sport in the heat, I told her she could pick *1* thing. Among the little tree frogs, bears, bunnies and dinosaurs, I'm pretty sure she picked the strangest thing: a bat with flaming wings, fangs and goggley eyes. I tried to make other suggestions, but no. It had to be the bat. So, off we went with a play tent, cat ears, and the bat, all for $3.



Since then, the bat has become indispensible. Bat (that's its name of course) is in the crib for naps and nighttime and comes with us to the store, to playgroup, and even the dentist.

On the way to the dentist, Monica informed me that she is a princess, "a pretty pretty princess." So, playing along, I made up a story about the princess and her bat. "Once there was a pretty pretty princess named Monica. Princess Monica had a bat who loved her more than anything. This bat was so loyal and loving that he went everywhere with the princess. He played with blocks and the dollhouse. He sat with her at dinner and stayed with her all night while she slept, even though he'd much rather be awake and flying around and drinking fruit nectar. He was the best bat a princess could have. What else did the bat do, Princess Monica?"

"The bat snuggled right into Monica's heart."

Well, that settled it. This bat is loved and not going anywhere anytime soon.

When the dentist came out into the waiting room to collect us for Monica's very first exam, he found me, Monica and Bat reading a book on the couch. After complimenting Monica on her very pink outfit, he said, "Oh! Is that your kitty?" Monica wasted no time in correcting him, "No! It's a bat!" she exclaimed while flopping him around above her head. "Complete with flaming wings and fangs!" I said.

The dentist seemed a little surprised to see a 2 year old loving on a stuffed bat, but I'm sure he's seen stranger things. When we entered the exam room, we found out that David, the 20-something dental assistant, also loves bats. When Monica showed him the bat, he gave her a big grin and said, "Oooh! Bats are my favorite!" Obviously, we came to the right place. Monica's appointment went really well, and Bat never left her side.

I guess we got our 50 cent's worth and then some.