Booby Obsession

Get-Your-Mind-Out-Of-The-Gutter!

This is a booby.  More specifically, a blue-footed booby.

What in the world is a booby?  Well, as you can see, it's a bird and they are mostly found in the Galápagos Islands in Ecuador.  Now why, you might ask, do we have a booby?  Auntie O went to Ecuador over the summer and brought munchkin one back.  Specifically, the one above.

Now, we've got plenty of animals.  We've got a frog, Big Bird, Elmo, dogs, bears, etc, but this one... this one is a favorite.  And because "blue-footed booby" was just too much for a two year old to say (especially one with speech issues), this little guy is just called "Booby."

Many mornings are a fight around here to get out the door.  I've resorted to bribery.  Yes, bribery... with a two year old.  This morning's bribe?  Booby.  Yup, Booby was my way out the door, in the car, and into daycare relatively on time this morning.

For the most part, I can tell her that the "night night" or the wrong jacket must remain in the car while she's at school.  But this morning?  This morning Booby was going in - whether I liked it or not, if I wanted to maintain sanity for the morning, Booby was headed in to daycare.  

What comes along with walking around with Booby is... talking about Booby.  

So, imagine this... 

Me:  "Hi Teacher.  Ummm, I need to talk to you about this bird my daughter's carrying around."

Teacher:  "Ok, what's up?  I can just put it in her cubby once she's done playing with it."

Me: "Well, no, that's not the problem... the problem is that it's a Booby.  So, she's going to keep saying Booby, but that just means she's referring to the bird."

Teacher:  "Oh, ok"

Me: "I'm so sorry!  Really, this thing is a type of bird called the blue-footed booby and she calls it Booby.  It's from Ecuador.  Really.  I swear.  She's not saying a bad word.  It's just, well, it's just a Booby."

Teacher (laughing):  "That's fine, something educational for the day"

Me:  "Just get it away from her as soon as possible in a way that won't drive you crazy with screaming"

Me: Walks away shamefully worried that all the other kids are going to go home yelling "BOOBY" at their parents.  

So, next time your child comes home from school talking about Booby, they may just be referring to this guy...