Here's the the Hiyas

Zayd loves loves loves elephants. He has known for a very long time now that they are permanently on Daddy's arm and I think that is where it all started.  In a very particular order, we have the following hiyas with us most of the time:

1. Big hiya
2. Baby hiya
3. Rock hiya (A rocking horse-esque elephant)
4. (Zoo) Other hiya
5. (Puppet) Other hiya
6. (Humidifier) Other big hiya

Oh wait! I am so IN IT I forgot that the aren't called hiyas. We have covered this before but in Sesame Street Episode 4176, Grover gets a new sidekick Horatio the Elephant who LOVES karate. He bursts through the doors that I remember from my child hood and "Hiya!"s away. So, we call them hiyas.

Let me tell you a little about Big Hiyas travel's. He has been to:

1. Central Market
2. Home Depot
3. Mommy's Bank
4. All of our friend's homes
5. The zoo
6. Houston!

Basically, if you see us out and about, check the car or the stroller. If we are in a store, just check the cart. He's there. And he sleeps with Zaydie every nap and bedtime. How big is big hiya, you ask? Well, let me tell you that big hiya is actually a fair trade wooden statue that I bought from 10,000 Villages circa 2007 for one Mr. Sam Mammen. He used to grace our mantle until Zayd saw him up there and fell in love. Now, he has a broken nose with a lot of carpenter's glue and one sizable bandaid so I suppose we are never getting him back.

Once, only once, Mommy let Zayd take Rock Hiya to a backyard playdate across the street.

Don't believe me that these guys are EVERYWHERE? He is our last trip to Houston.

We read books about hiyas. Well, we turn to the page about elephants and stare at only that page. Thank you Eric Carle for including elephants in "Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What do you hear?" and "Does a Kangaroo Have a Mommy too" and to Sandra Boynton for having an elephant on every page in the "Getting Ready for Bed Book".

See if you can spot the elephant in these photos FROM MARCH!

And speaking of things Zayd loves, lets just talk about Zayd's tuck in ritual. Big hiya gets his own blanket and the coveted spot next to Zaydie in bed. On Zayd's other side, baby hiya (who gets to sit in the rocking chair with us before actual bedtime) pink monkey, blue monkey, green lantern, and iron man all get a blanket to share. Zayd sidles in the middle with a blanket of his own, though he's been known to share with Big Hiya. Oh! And don't forget the the elephant humidifer must be running and Rock Hiya gets his own blanket as well. Mommy has stood firm that Rock Hiya MUST sleep on the floor.

And the most perfect bit of all, Zayd now sleeps with one song on repeat ALL NIGHT! What song you ask? The choo choo song. See if you can guess why he loves it so much. Thanks to Auntie Payal for including this lovely song on Zayd's birth mix. I actually love that he loves it.

What (weird!) thing do your kids love? Or what did you love as a tiny tot?