Every Boy Needs A Good Guy

About 6 months ago, Thomas started asking for “A Guy.” I didn’t quite understand what he was meaning, but eventually I figured out he needed a guy to play with when he plays with his cars and trucks.

So, I did what any other mom would do. I used the guy as an excuse to get out of the house. I went to Target and walked up and down the toy isles looking for the perfect guy. Do you know how hard it is to find a normal looking guy these days? I couldn’t find any guys without guns, knives, slime, or some strange contraption that you strap on them to make them look like a bug. I could have picked one of the little tiny ones with above average muscle mass, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. They were just too strange looking. I settled on a guy that came with a motorcycle. He looked semi-normal and seemed like he would serve the purpose I needed him to. Thomas was thrilled and played with him for several weeks, until the cheap thing broke.

A few days later, he was in the garage with Steve and found an old Tonka Ambulance. Steve had purchased years ago, hoping to be able to give it to his son sometime in the future. He pulled it off the shelf and gave it to Thomas. He was THRILLED! Not only was it a great vintage truck, it came with the perfect guy…a lady.

On one of the first few days that we had her, I walked into Thomas' room to get him up for the day. As he was waking up, he asked me where the lady was. I wasn’t even thinking about his new lady-guy. The first thought I had was, “Which one of our dead relatives is visiting my son during the night.” I asked him what she looked like expecting to hear him give a description of my Grandma Helen. He then said that she was the little one with the yellow shirt. Phew! I’m not sure I want my son seeing dead people!

So, yes. My son’s favorite “guy” is an androgynous looking lady who doesn’t own a pair of pants. She is a pretty versatile toy in our house. We know where she is at all times. She has become one of us and we love her, naked heinie and all!

These are some of her daily activities:

We consider her to be Clara's first Barbie Doll. We figure she doesn't know any better. Better yet, she won't grow up thinking she has to have wear a size -4, have fake boobs, or bleach blond hair.

She is really good at driving the other toys around in the motor home. Usually she is hauling around full load of Disney Character figures and the occasional wooden block, paper clip, empty toilet paper roll (a.k.a. telescope), or anything else Thomas may find of interest that day.

Occasionally, she returns to her roots and serves as the patient on those days we play "Emergency."