Big Ups Ourson

I hope Pea doesn't forget Ourson.

My little Pea is a poor sleeper. She's a lot like the Pod, who needs to stay awake to the point of exhaustion so she falls right into a deep slumber when her head hits the pillow.

One of the things we did to try and help Pea sleep better was give her a 'lovey'; a soft item that she can hold close for comfort when she sleeps. For the longest time, this lovey was 'Ourson', an aptly named and adorable little bear that the Pod bought Pea for Easter.

Until recently, we were under the impression that Pea loved Ourson. They would play together in bed. Pea would whip Ourson around like a rag doll and from time to time hug and kiss him (albeit aggressively).

In hindsight, we were misreading Pea's signals. As it turns out, Pea doesn't like Ourson. She prefers more 'old skool' fare.

On a recent trip to the U.S., we forgot Ourson under a pile of blankets in the bed we had been sleeping in. It wasn't until we were an hour into our trip home that we realized Ourson was lying alone, suffocating under a pile of blankets, likely crying out for us and deeply saddened that we forgot him.

As much as that thought pained us - literally, I still get a little teary thinking of the poor little guy all alone - we decided it wasn't worth the trip back to retrieve him. We would soldier on without him until he could be shipped back to Canada.

To select a temporary lovey, Pea was placed in front of her plush toy stash and was allowed to pick anything she wanted. She reached straight away for Oopsie, a green Care Bear with a rattling tummy.

Watching Pea hug, kiss and squeeze Oopsie makes it clear that Ourson was an unwanted sleep aid imposed upon her by her well-meaning but clueless parents. Seeing how happy she becomes when Oopsie is around is virtually a slap in the face to our old friend Ourson.

In adult terms, it would be like watching your girlfriend make-out vigorously with another guy while she holds your heart in her hand and puts cigarettes out with your left ventricle.

It's cold, people. It can be hard to watch.

The good news is that Pea seems to really like Oopsie. In the end, that's all that matters. But we will need to make sure we teach Pea about the brave and valiant Ourson, who sacrificed his own safety and well being in an attempt to help her sleep better.

Ourson deserves as much.

I may not know what I want my Pea to become, but I hope she doesn't forget Ourson.