We made the decision to replace Caleb’s Herbie.  I know I know.  You’re saying we should have let him learn a lessen.  I guess we sort of felt at fault.  We’ve always allowed him to take one or two cars in stores while we shop.  And Charley always goes also.  To this day, we have never lost one single $0.97 Hot Wheels.  So it figures that when he takes a car in that we paid a lot more than $0.97, and he holds it near and dear, it would be the first to be lost.  Neither of us checked to make sure he had everything he got out of the car with when we got back in.  So that’s my defense and I’m sticking with it.  We paid a ridiculous amount, again, to replace Herbie.  Caleb thanked me about 15 times when he opened the package.  He was so thrilled, and hasn’t put it down since.  I explained to him after his initial excitement settled that we would not be able to replace him again and he must take very good care of Herbie.  I told him we would make a special, safe place in the car that Herbie could sleep while we shopped.

So fast forward to two days ago.  We were getting out of the car.  You know where this is going.  The car that we searched ten times over, short of one place.  You know how the saying goes…”It’s in the last place you look.”  Well duh, you aren’t gonna keep looking after you find it, of course it’s the last place!  Ha!  Caleb laid down on the seat to get out of the car.  And wouldn’t you know, I small space underneath the carseat only big enough for a three year old’s hands or a Herbie car was revealed to be the hiding spot.

Caleb immediately picked out the differences though, however slight they are.  The thing he likes best about the new one is that it looks happier.  Herbie’s bumper is his mouth, and I must admit, the old car (left) does look as if he’s frowning.  The first has black hubcaps, while the new one has silver ones.  They are both Johnny Lightning, one came in a 5 pack and one came individually packaged (the new one).

I can’t believe I didn’t write about this over a week ago, but we actually went to meet Herbie.  Yep, as luck would have it, Scott was telling the secretary at work how much Caleb’s loves Herbie, and she replied “Well have you taken him to see the one across town?”  In disbelief, Scott drove by the house, and sure enough, there he sat in the yard.

The scariness that is google maps:

Think I’m kidding?  Here’s my husband standing out in the yard running his RC truck at our old house.

Anyway, back on topic, we took Caleb over there.  I didn’t have my camera!  We were already nearby on errands, so it wasn’t a planned trip.  Caleb just couldn’t believe it.  He ran around and around the car looking at him and talking to him.  This particular Herbie didn’t have any bumpers, Caleb was very concerned.  He didn’t have a sunroof either, but Caleb couldn’t see that.  Talk about not wanting to leave though.  He wanted to buy Herbie!  He wanted us to bring him home.  The whole way home he whimpered sadly that Herbie missed him and he missed Herbie.  He usually asks at least once a day if we can go see Herbie again.  He asked if I thought Herbie would talk to him next time.

He was so cute, but I didn’t anticipate the sadness that followed for a few hours.  Next time we’ll prepare better and let him know that we can only visit for a few minutes, but we’ll take pictures with Caleb and Herbie so that we can “see” him any time on the computer.

Comments

2 Responses to “life bites back sometimes”

    Val
    January 24th, 2009 9:12 pm

    That is so cute! I am so happy ‘original’ Herbie is back. And the real deal! That doesn’t happen too often.

    Guess a VW is in you future, eh!

    Amber
    January 25th, 2009 8:54 am

    How pitiful is he? and how scary is the google maps thing! Holy crap!

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