Medicinal Maniac

So my poor sunny girl has been pretty sick for the past few days. She has bronchitis, and just hasn't been able to shake it. She has collected quite the pharmacopoeia (fabulous word!): antibiotics, steroids, cough syrup laced with codeine . . . but none of this stuff seems to be doing the trick.

One thing that is necessary for her comfort is her beloved Maniac. This stuffed lovie just looks like Bugs Bunny, but around here we know his real name. It stems from the days when we were addicted to The Animaniacs, the awesomely hilarious Warner Brothers cartoon show. The critters in these cartoons have a distinctive Looney Tunes air about them -- clearly descended from Bugs and his pals.

Well the two-year-old sunny girl laid eyes on this stuffed Bugs Bunny, and recognized him immediately. Although she had never seen any Looney Tunes episodes, she knew an Animaniac when she saw one. But of course she was two, and "Animaniac" was too big a mouthful for her. "Look at the 'Maniac!" He's been the Maniac ever since.

And even though he's been chewed by our dog and sewn back together, dragged through many a playground, and washed until his stuffing is flat,her Maniac still carries medicinal properties. I'm glad something makes her feel better!

OK, so today behind door two of the Advent calendar is a book I adored when I was a little girl, Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree. It's a fun and sweet little story about a Christmas tree that's just a teensy bit too tall.