Tuesday, August 14, 2012

yellow puppy dog

Last night I asked Caelan to go pick a bedtime story. 

He quickly called me to come look with him.

I suggested several different books before he told me that he wanted a puppy dog story.

Great!  I pick out one of his puppy books.  It's a touch and feel book and probably a bit young for him but it's still a fave.

He promptly tells me I've got the wrong book.  "No!"

He further explains that it's a yellow dog.

okay....

I search and find a few stories with a yellow dog named Biscuit in them.  In the past I've never found that he's enjoyed these stories much but I'm happy thinking that we've found our bedtime story.

"No!" 

Apparently not this yellow dog.

This is where the problem grows.

There are no other yellow dog stories.

I start asking for more details and discover that it's in fact a yellow dog with brown spots.

okay...

Ummm.  We don't have a story about a dog that's yellow with brown spots... At least not one I can remember or find on his bookshelf.  Or his sisters. Or in this house.

More questions.  The answers are getting more difficult to understand though because Caelan is getting a more frustrated that I can't find this book.

I confirm that the dog has shaggy ears and there's also a hippo in the story... and maybe the hippo ate the dog or the dog at the hippo??

Wait just a minute!!  I think he might be pulling my leg now as he's laughing and nodding his head enthusiastically at this last detail.

I try and get him to pick another book with no luck.

His sisters are at Gramma and Grampa's for a few nights and I decide to call them and see if they know what he's talking about.

Darcy is quick to tell me that this might be a story that her and Caelan made up one day but she says they never determined what colour the dog was and maybe there was a hippo... She can't remember exactly.  Going on the fact that initially Caelan was obsessing over the yellow dog I'm hoping that this made up story is not the one he's referring to.

Ryland has no idea.  Then she remembers that we have a book about cheetahs in the basement.  Is it possible he's thinking of that?  Genius!!! Yellow with brown spots.   I'm convinced we've found our answer.

Hugs and kisses and good night wishes to the girls and I'm off downstairs in hopes of finding a cheetah book.

Well, it appears that the bookshelf has been transformed into a doll house of sorts and I have great difficulty locating the cheetah book.  Thankfully Damian found it.  Unfortunately Caelan claimed "no!" once again.

We've been looking for a bedtime story now for going on an hour and Mommy's had just about enough about this yellow dog so I choose to read to him about the cheetahs.  I also read Ten Apples Up On Top by Dr. Seuss since there was a dog with yellow spots in the story.

He was happy listening to the stories.

But, and that's a big BUT they weren't the story he wanted.  He wanted the yellow dog story.  The one with the brown spots and shaggy ears.

He cried and cried, and cried some more.  I even told him that Daddy would take him to the library and the bookstore in the morning so they could search for this book.  He was beside himself and so overtired at this point.  I was running out of comforting words and patience as we were stuck in this cyclical conversation as often seems to happen with our three year old.  Eventually he fell asleep.

Today as promised Damian took him looking for this book.  I'm told they spent hours reading stories in both the library and the book store but with no luck in finding one about a yellow dog with brown spots.

I have to admit that right now as bedtime draws near I'm fearful of what tonight's story pick will be.  Here's hoping that it's something I can find easily on our shelf.

AND if you know of a children's story that has a yellow puppy with brown spots and shaggy ears and maybe a hippo in it.... PLEASE let me know the title!!!

5 comments:

  1. I have no idea what story he is thinking of BUT I wish you good luck and hope that tonight he wanted to hear about something else at story time!

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  2. Well... I thought I was out of the woods because he was happy enough to send me to go pick out the story. I picked two that had no dogs in them at all!! We finished reading them and had a little snuggle and as I pick him up to bring him to bed he starts crying again about the yellow doggy story!!! Breaks my heart! He cried himself to sleep again.
    I tried making up a story about a yellow puppy and he was giggling and happy, he even helped me out with all the things the puppy did in the story, but as soon as it was finished the big lip came out and the tears started rolling down his cheeks again!!!

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  3. I am thinking maybe your Caelan has too much control...it is just a bed time story. Maybe Mommy & Daddy could choose the story. Just saying that it seems like alot of energy for a good night!!! He has your number.

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  4. A thought would be if you guys with Caelan made up a story with all the characters that he wants in it and then read it at bedtime, not sure if that would work or not? It is really
    hard when they fall asleep crying it always ruined my night when it happened with my kids. You want the nights to be relaxing so they fall asleep with good dreams.
    Best of luck tonight. Gramma. xx

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  5. Hi, I've read your blog for ages but not commented. In England we have Spot the dog books, not sure if you have them in the states but I'm pretty sure spot is yellow with a brown spot and one of his friends is Helen the hippo, could this be it?

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