Death of a Sophie....

A very sad day at Drake Towers last week. Sophie died. Regular blog readers will know that Sophie is Elin's little squeaky Giraffe , who has been travelling to school with her every single day for years. She basically travels everywhere with Elin in fact and is her 'object of reference' for travelling-in-chair time. Sophie even comes on holiday with us (you may remember photographs of her frolicking on Blackpool beach in the Summer). Anyway last week I arrived home to a grim looking Paul and Caitlin who gently informed me of some bad news. Paul had arrived home to find Sophie lying in a puddle in the road. It was a hit and run.  She must've fallen off Elin's buggy as my Mum met the bus from school that day. She didn't stand a chance immobile in the road at school-run time. As I gazed on in horror, Paul presented a weak looking Sophie and imparted the even worse tidings- her squeak was gone. They had tried to revive her by drying her out and giving her special squeak- CPR. But it was too late. Sophie as we knew her was no more.
I cried.
Yeah, I know. Ridiculous! Maybe I'm a little over tired lately? But seriously, Sophie has been everywhere with us and we've never once lost her. She's part of Elin. I cried a bit more as Paul and Caitlin began to give each other 'she's gone mental' sideways glances whilst attempting sympathetic noises. I felt not unlike Tom Hanks in 'Castaway' where he swims through the water crying his eyes out chasing after his friend Wilson. Wilson being a basketball he drew a face on and talked to for years whilst stranded on a desert island (don't mock till you've seen the film- heartbreaking I swear). Anyway Sophie was my Wilson. I talked to her, I made her talk to Elin. She made Elin laugh. I was bereft.
Despite my instinct to conduct a full on burial and short service in the garden (Paul and Caitlin by now had gingerly vacated the room, probably to find a phone number for a few men in white coats, leaving me to wallow in my grief) I decided that Sophie could live out the rest of her days in Elin's bed along with Monkey and Easter Bunny. She can still blow air over Elin from time to time where her squeak used to be. Pfffft.
Luckily basketballs and toy giraffe's are a damn site more replaceable than actual living, breathing things. Thanks to the gods of Amazon we are now in possession of a new Sophie with only a two day Sophie hiatus. Don't you just love the internet? But she will never be our Sophie to me, not until she has put in the same time and effort and had just as many adventures as the old faithful giraffe. Welcome to the Drake's (new) Sophie. You don't have to be mad to live here.... but it helps!

Old Sophie accompanying Elin to school earlier this year.

 New Sophie. 

PS New Sophie's squeak sounds different. It's not as good!! Wahhhhhhhhhhhh! WILSON!!!!