Mousy Mousy and the Pink Blanket

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Mousy Mousy and the Pink Blanket

by Tim Yao

When I was little and the family was living in Albuquerque, NM, Mama gave each of us kids a stuffed animal. It was one of those ones you buy in a cloth store as part of a kit: there was a two dimensional image imprinted for the front and the back of the animal; you just sewed it together and stuffed it up. Tina got one of a bear and named it Beary Beary. I got one of a mouse and named it Mousy Mousy. Shana received a smaller one of a squirrel; and Tina and I named it for her: Squirelly-Squirelly.

Mousy Mousy was in many stories in my early childhood; and, being the sentimental guy I am, I kept Mousy Mousy on my bed all the way through high school. When I went away to college, Mama kept Mousy Mousy on my bed so I could have him when I visited. Finally, I took him with me to have in my college apartment. By this time, he was very threadbare (the original fabric for Mousy Mousy was very thin). Stuffing was starting to show through in places.

I graduated and got married. Nan knew of my deep love for this stuffed animal, but she saw that it was falling apart. She secretly sent it to Mama; and Mama painstakingly took Mousy Mousy apart and sewed what was left of the original fabric on a new fabric backing of similar color. Then she embroidered Mousy Mousy's poor threadbare leftovers and every little detail of the original design to the fabric backing. I received the renewed Mousy Mousy as a birthday gift. What a treasure!

I can remember Nan telling me what I already knew: "Your mother really loves you!"

When Kristiana was born, Mama did the same thing for my Pink Blanket that I had used to take naps on at school in Albuquerque.