Tales of a Giraffe named Sophie

I am a sucker for a celebrity endorsement, let's just say that right away. 

So when, a few weeks back, I read Jessica Alba tweeting about the 'miracles' of her child's toy, I was SOLD.

Now, I'm not a total sell-out, I had been wanting to buy this particular toy for some time, but when I realised it was $19.99 in buybuybaby, I blanched and told Imogen she would have to make do and play with the tupperware for now; there was no way I was shelling out twenty dollars for a rubber camelopard (thanks to thesaurus.com for that little gem). 

But after Ms Alba had entranced me with her tweets promising never-ending giraffe love, I went to the website hopscout.com and lo and behold, her Sophie was on sale for $17! TOTAL SALE PRICE, INCL. DELIVERY.

Damn you, Jessica, with your shiny, glossy toy tweets

 Being a stingy Mum, the three buck saving was the push I needed and the deal was done. Before I knew it, my bank card had found itself in my hand and the order had been processed. Wooooooooo, 'Soon,' I promised Imogen, 'You will be the proud owner of a classic toy that you will love and cherish forever like all the other children'.


She looked at me with barely concealed contempt. I should have known what was to come.


Fast forward about 3 weeks. It seems Hopscout underestimated the power of tweeting to a million plus followers and they had been 'overwhelmed by demand' and my order would be 'a day late'. For 'a day late' read a week late.


But, day of days, yesterday afternoon I faithfully checked outside my front door as I had been for the last few weeks and there it was, my small brown box of long-necked delight!


After whooping it up to a satisfactory level and building the anticipation to fever pitch I opened the box and......it squeaked.....


Well, I couldn't have designed a more dog friendly toy better myself. Squeak? Check. Rubber? Check. Chewable? Check. 


Oh dear.

Bobble's in love with Madame Sophie

I soon realised that Sophie was not going to be a toy Imogen could play with at will, it was to become a special playroom toy, far from the clutches of Bobble.


But, I needn't have worried about the dog. One squeak from Sophie and Imogen turned away in disgust. 


I don't want to exaggerate, but my child does not dislike anything. She will happily play with anything I give her, will eat her food up clean off her plate every day. But a rubber giraffe, that squeaks? Nope. Nada. 


So, I tried to persevere all afternoon. We went and played in her room and she would physically bat it away with her feet and hands. When we walked the dog, I placed it in the stroller with her to chew on and she threw it out onto the street (another first). I tried to emulate the chewing technique to help soothe her teething gums, but she just looked at me in bewilderment.

Is my child the only one in the world impervious to this toy's charms. I'm a bit gutted really, I had hoped she would take to it and would bond with it, holding it tight for years on end. 


There must be a lesson in here somewhere. All I know is I have a $17 unused equivalent to a rubber chicken in my handbag. Bob Dog? You may be in luck after all.....

Bonjour, Sophie! Or should I say Au Revoir?!