The Toy Story Effect

I’m going crazy.  I have to be.  It can’t just be chalked up to baby brain after all.  This is too weird, too creepy—or frustrating…

I’m thinking my mommy friends should be able to relate to this.  I’ve noticed how anal I’ve become in the toy department.  I HATE losing pieces to toys.  I want Nola to be able to enjoy her toys in the entirety, meaning nothing broken and all parts in place.  When something goes missing, we halt all play and search for it until Mommy feels better.  Ok, maybe not to THAT extreme, but it certainly URKS me.

Last year, at Christmas or her birthday (I can’t remember which) Nola was given the Little People Barn with Animals.  It came with the Farmer, pig, sheep, goat, cow & horse.  I have watched carefully over these pieces and it has paid off—until recently.

This Christmas she merrily played with it here and there and then shortly after Christmas they were GONE.  “They can’t possibly be gone,” I reasoned.  They had to be somewhere and so the search began.  The barn was empty; I checked, and I checked repeatedly.  The silo was empty.  The ottoman had NO toys in it.  Nothing.  Under the furniture…the pig.  Ok.  Keep looking…sheep.  Keep looking, keep looking.  Nothing.  Then it kicked in.  The search was on.  Every piece of furniture got moved.  We don’t have a big house anyway, how hard could this be?  This toy only stays in this room.  They cannot be far.  Cushions removed and inside all couch creases checked…twice.  Alright, I know kids move things from room to room.  It would be silly of me to think she wouldn’t take them somewhere else.  Her bedroom tipped upside down…nothing.  Hmm.  Ok, downstairs to where the bulk of the toys are.  To the bottom of EVERY toy bin, bassinette, and bucket…NO ANIMALS.  Are you kidding me!?!  Where the HELL did the horse, cow and goat go??

Now I was obsessed.  I asked Kevin, and then got a little miffed when he didn’t want to help search.  I began looking online.  Did you know you cannot purchase just the animals?  Nope, you can’t.  And it just isn’t satisfactory to have an incomplete toy…of course I would keep it, but I would forever be plagued with wondering.

I could only come to the conclusion that on Christmas morning those particular toys got swooped out with the wrapping and garbage.  That is the ONLY possible explanation.

Now about two weeks ago I was at Toys R Us shopping for a friend’s birthday present.  I saw Animal Planet had some farm animals that were of similar size and decided to purchase them for Nola’s farm so she could have more animals to go with it.

LAST night, Kevin and Nola were playing in the living room with the barn and I looked down to see them and saw…THE GOAT.  WHAT?!!?!?!  I said to Kevin, “Are you guys playing with animals??”  Kevin replied with, “Yeah, there are a few here.”

I left it alone but boy did it ever bug me.  This morning I went to the living room, opened the ottoman and pulled out the barn.  Stuffed in the silo—like we’ve always done—was the Farmer…the pig…the sheep…the Goat…The Cow…THE HORSE!  Are you freaking kidding me??  THEY’RE ALL HERE?!  This can’t be.  NOW is when the rant started.  THEY’RE ALL HERE?  That makes NO sense.  I’ve been looking for these animals for one month and haven’t found a thing.  I have searched high and low, in and out and nothing.  I have looked HERE in this particular place a BILLION times and nothing.  AND YES!  I did look in the silo ALL those times!!

I must have ranted for 20 minutes off and on to Kevin, who just smiled and drank his coffee at the kitchen table.  THIS IS NOT FUNNY.  HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?

I am utterly bewildered.  I can’t even say “Murphy’s Law” for purchasing other toys.  I hadn’t even taken them out of the package, and it didn’t happen directly after which is more like Murphy.

Regardless, over his coffee Kevin just calmly stated, “It’s the Toy Story Effect.”  WHAT?!

They went on an adventure and they’re back now…

Calm down Jeanette.  Let it go; it’s a lesson teaching me to not worry about it because they’ll show up again.

Or maybe they did go on an adventure…glad to have them back.