Kintropy In Action

Growing up with Winnie the Pooh, everyone identifies with one character or another.  I was always an Eeyore fan myself.  Something rang both true and absurd in his constant mopiness; it suited me.

I'm not sure to which characters the kids will attach, but I do know one thing:  Hannah will not be claiming Tigger as her favorite.

Last night, one of Hannah's favorite nurses introduced Hannah's new toothbrush:  a Tigger electric toothbrush.  At its base, Tigger sits on a log in an upright, ready-to-pounce position.  His stomach houses the on-off button, and the toothbrush itself sprouts from his skull.  Yes, not only does Tigger have very human traits; Oral B, under what I'm sure is a strict licensing agreement, has transformed Tigger into a family-friendly cyborg!

I was sitting on the couch in the family room when Hannah began to scream.  It wasn't a I'm-not-happy scream; it was a nightmare shriek worthy of B-movie credits. 

I walked back and asked the nurse, "Her head start spinning yet?"  Pictures of Regan danced in my head. 

Hannah's nurse, J, was both comforting Hannah and trying really hard not to laugh, I think, at the strangely virulent reaction Hannah was showing to a toothbrush.  Hannah settled down into sobs for a moment, glanced wearily at the nearby countertop, spotted the toothbrush, and renewed her shrieking.

J worked on comforting Hannah, and as she returned Hannah to her room, Tigger the Terror Toothbrush disappeared.  I walked into Hannah's room, picked her up, and held her.  Her sobs slowly receeded as I sang to her.

Poor Hannah.  Poor Tigger.  I'm hoping she'll find something to love in Pooh.  Or Eeeyore.

-- Dad