My brother Mark and I share a lot in common. He is only two years older than me so he always was my buddy growing up. When we were in high school I know he always kind of kept an eye out for me. We went to the same (fabulous) college and I know that he always kept his eye on me there–even if I didn’t know it. He is a great brother. There but not too there if that makes any sense.
Growing up I guess it was normal that he and I would be the closest because we were closest in age. That is a pretty neat thing to have and I have a lot of great memories of my childhood and a lot of them include some funny thing that happened with him being the center of it.
When we were very young (I think maybe 2 and 4) we got great gifts one Christmas. Mark got a brown teddy bear and I got a black and white teddy bear. We named them Fuzzy (Mark’s) and Wuzzy (mine). I am not sure who came up with the names but they were our favorite toys for many years. Fuzzy and Wuzzy had many conversations and adventures together and over the years they heard many secrets and dried many tears. At least mine. Not sure about Mark. Fuzzy and Wuzzy had very hard plastic noses and those sometimes were the things that knocked humans on the head…..just a simple whack with the nose of the teddy and the other person submitted to the wills of the whoever was “in charge”. If memory serves me well Fuzzy was way more into this than Wuzzy was. Was he??
Mark sent me a picture not too long ago of Fuzzy after I had rediscovered Wuzzy and sent him a picture. This is what he wrote when he sent the picture:
I’ve attached a photo of that bully, Fuzzy. Sorry he was such an
aggressive teddy bear, but I’m sure that it was a reflection of an
older, bigger brother, and not of his innate temperment, which I’m
sure was actually pretty mellow. I’ll bet Wuzzy could whip his butt,
these days, as Fuzzy’s volume has been dramatically diminished from
his glory days. Note his emaciated, nearly hairless body, with his
head actually sewed back on, with kind of a boyscout sort of kerchief
(thanks to Mother, who saved his life with major surgery).
I want to get them together for a photo shoot but I imagine some propping up of huge proportions will have to be involved. You see they have lost some of their fluff over the years. But they are still loved. One in Arizona and one in Iowa—-separated but still close. Kind of like their human counterparts.
Fuzzy
Wuzzy
Do you have a childhood “friend” who you still have? I would love to hear about it!!!
It's Just Life 
Oh, definitely! We have many! There are only a few that bit the dust: Donald Duck, Sammy Snake, and Little Leo (a small lion on a pillow). The other 40 some between mine and my husband’s we still have!
Wow! That is a lot to still have from your childhood! I still have a bunch of our boys but I doubt that they will ever really want them—-maybe they will each want one. That reminds me—I need to go dig all those memory boxes out and start distributing!!! 🙂
I wish I still had my stuffed monkey (not real of course) named Zip. I loved Zip. I’m happy to see that you two still have your friends. Thanks for the smile today.
Oh Zip sounds wonderful!!! I guess somehow Fuzzy and Wuzzy escaped being tossed away because they had so much personality! 🙂 Even if it was “our” personality!
Oh my… can’t believe you still have them! I don’t have anything….
He really is about the only thing that I still have from my childhood. With being a pastor’s kid we moved a bit and things did not always make the moves. That and we didn’t have tons of toys to begin with so I am very happy that I still have Wuzzy and that Fuzzy still lives with Mark!
Yep. Thumper Powder Puff Puff (shortened to Puff Puff or Puffy) has been in my life since I was five. Puffy was there with me at the hospital for the births of my children and, even now, I pull out the Puff to sleep with when my life gets overwhelming!
Oh I love that you have Puff Puff still!!!! That is very cool!!! I thought I was the only one!!! I tell you Wuzzy sure was absorbant at times!!! The tears that he wiped away over the years!! Here’s to stuffed animals that live on!
Fuzzy and Wuzzy are adorable even with their missing stuffing! My sister and I had Crissy and Tressy dolls. You could make their hair grow long and then make it short it again. We loved those dolls. What a special memory. Thanks for sharing.
Oh man–those dolls sound amazing!!! Do you still have them?? I don’t have many things from my childhood and this is about the only thing that I could say I still have. Glad you liked the trip down memory lane.
I have a bear that looks very much like your Wuzzy, although the eyes are different. I called him Andy the Panda. He’s tucked away in the cedar chest. I have an older brother, too, by 14 months. As much as I love him, he was kinda mean to me when we were kids. Hit me over the head with his toy tractor. Stole silage as I tossed it from the silo to feed cows on “my side of the barn.” Fortunately he aged into a kind adult. I think he was mostly jealous that I came long and stole the attention our of parents, him being the oldest in the family.
I am glad your brother moved on out of that stage and ended up being a nice adult! Whew! I suspect your theory about being jealous is accurate!!! Glad you have Andy!!! Those things are special to still have!
Ha my daughter still has “Snuggles” the traveling bear…Remember him? lol
Really? The Snuggles bear??? Cool!
My oldest sister has a bear very similar to Wuzzy.
I have a pink elephant named “Ellie”, and my oldest son has a giraffe snuggle thing named “Giraffy”. (We’re creative with our names.) Ellie is sitting on a chair in my bedroom, and Giraffy continues to sleep with Joe every night.
Sweet and sentimental post, Beth Ann. The best kind! 🙂
Thanks, Lenore! I love your original names!!! 🙂
Which ONE do you want to know about? LOL I have a doll I got when I was three, Mom dated it on the back. Her name is “Charlie” from Choo-Choo Charlie the engineer (Good N Plenty fame).
That is awesome!!! Good N Plenty are my favs!!!!
I saved my Barbie dolls from my past & passed them on to my daughter when she was a little older. I spent many, many happy hours playing with my Barbies – unfortunately my daughter was not so much into the dolls as I was & they were not the big hit I had hoped for. Because she didn’t cherish them like I did they got wrecked & are now gone.
Can you believe that I never ever had a Barbie doll or any other doll like Barbie??? That was really great of you to pass them on to your daughter but I bet it broke your heart when she did not love them like you did!
This is just so sweet–in such a good way on so many levels! Love it. I have Fred my childhood Teddy. I never remember when I didn’t have Fred and can’t imagine what I would do without him. He is high on my save in case of disaster list! Fuzzy and Wuzzy are both very cute.
I knew I was not alone in having something like this! He always makes me smile when I see him because he was such a source of comfort and joy to me over the years. I don’t actually still sleep with him but he is there if I need him! 🙂