All of Susie’s nearest and dearest know of her deep attachment to Lionel, the mangy little hunk of fabric that used to be a plush lion, an Easter gift from Nona when she was a year old. A year or two ago, I tried to buy a new Lionel on ebay after Old Lionel’s mouth came apart, but she never took to New Lionel, insisting that the broken mouth of Old Lionel was more comfy. Then last week, Q decided to find out what would happen if she cut off the tutu and headband of Janie’s precious Charlotte. The results were heartbreaking for Janie. I decided that losing Old Lionel forever was the only punishment that would get through to Susie and get her to stop cutting up her hair, other people’s dresses, and other people’s dolls. You haven’t seen tears until you’ve seen Susie bewailing the loss of Old Lionel.
A day or two earlier, Susie and one of the big kids had gotten into a fight because Susie was insisting on putting dresses on Old Lionel. At the time, she mentioned wishing there was an Old Lionel, but a girl. A quick internet search later, and I’d ordered Leah, the female lion made by the same company. When she arrived, the girls were ecstatic, but I insisted that only four year olds who stay dry all night could have Leah. Suddenly, within a week and a half, nighttime potty training was done. Susie and Elizabeth had spent the past couple of days decorating their room to prepare for Leah, and Susie had had several long cell phone conversations with Leah, telling her what to expect when got to her new home. Old Lionel seemed forgotten, and she’s gone to bed without him just fine. Now Leah is living in the girls’ room with New Lionel, Caroline, Charlotte, Bunny, Betsy, Tacy, Tib, Lucy, Sally, Judy, and the two Ronnies. The other dolls and stuffed animals seem to have welcomed her with open paws.
The next traumatic hurdle to overcome in Susie’s life will be what to wear when she outgrows that dress.
Wow – sounds like quite a lot of drama going on there! So glad Susie is finally fully potty trained. Just think, three down and only one to go! 🙂