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Original poster

WWYD? The Saga of the Family Tuna

361 replies

PomBearAtTheGatesOfDawn · 27/09/2011 19:43

Bit longwinded but anyone who bears with me can have Wine and Thanks
DD has a toy caterpillar named Sydney Tuna, she liberated him from a car boot sale when she was just gone 2 and has adored and worshipped him ever since.
Last Christmas Santa brought his mummy, Mrs. Mabel Tuna, to live with us. She had missed Sydney since he went to seek his fortune, so had written to Santa to ask him to find Sydney, and Santa gave her a lift to our house on his sleigh. Cue rejoicing and carolling and so on....
DD now informs me that this Christmas, Mrs T and Sydney are writing jointly to Santa to find Mr. Tuna, who rejoices in the name Miguel apparently, and is in the army, fighting for the peaceloving resistance caterpillars who want to stop the slaughter between the marmite and the maple syrup factions I kid you not AND I kept a straight face wile DD told me all this
So... and if you're still with me, a thousand thanks... I can lay my hands on a caterpillar identical to Mrs. Tuna, but how can I make him look like he's been liberated from the army/prisoner of war camp/somewhere else suitable to have kept him away for a long time? I thought about him having been kidnapped by Pirates to explain where he's been all these years, and that was when DD came out with the stuff about the army... any suggestions? DD is 9 and I think this could be the last year for Santa for her, we've had some pointed questions that I have so far lied my way out of managed by the skin of my teeth, so I want to do Mr. Tuna's homecoming right...

OP posts:
CristinadellaPizza · 28/09/2011 09:26

Ooh yes a tiny rucksack. And a couple of bandages which she can unroll when he's better.

I love this thread and I love your DD

ScarahStratton · 28/09/2011 09:23

How big is this caterpillar that it needs rolling pins for legs? Shock

He needs war wounds. Maybe a bandage round a leg or 2 and some random plasters from a sword fight? And a tiny caterpillarish rucksack to keep all his war stuff in.

Is he Marmite or Maple Syrup?

LtEveDallas · 28/09/2011 09:21

PomBear, I could send you some Sergeants Stripes, or a pair of Desert Combat trousers/shirt that you could cut up for Miguel if you'd like. Just send me a PM with an address and I'll do it!

Honeydragon · 28/09/2011 09:14

saw a rolling pin in two. Drill through the ends and string throuugh and you could have two wooden legs on his mid section.

Original poster
PomBearAtTheGatesOfDawn · 28/09/2011 09:02

Those are lovely faux but the shipping to the UK would be more than they cost in the first place. I might be able to find them here, the Toys R Us one wa just the easiest one to get hold of, and cheap enough that I don't mind damaging making it look a bit war-torn and brave.
Honey you're a genius! Never occurred to me - even when I said "real eyepatch" it just didn't compute where they come from I have spent so much time online I have forgotten that real shops exist I think
dizzy I don't think Mrs. Tuna would approve of Mr. Tuna consorting with glamorous butterflies! face a la Allo Allo

OP posts:
Honeydragon · 28/09/2011 08:02

go to your local chemist, they will have eye patches for about 50 pence that you can trim down.

FauxFox · 28/09/2011 07:58

How about a less "girlie" one? here or here.

You could make a video for him or revoicover to be more fitting in with the story!

dizzyblonde · 28/09/2011 07:18

Spray him with perfume and say he was rescued by a glamourous resistance butterfly and hidden until Santa could pick him up.

HaveALittleFaithBaby · 28/09/2011 06:13

Does he have teeth? You could black a couple out to look like there's some missing. Very piratey.
If there's anything unclear, and DD to write out the back story for Santa so you know what she expects so he knows how to find Miguel.

Flowerista · 27/09/2011 22:59

He would be a Nobel Peace prize winner if he facilitated a truce between those two factions. Tis a long and bloody history for sure.

Flowerista · 27/09/2011 22:56

Oooh a DOUBLE AGENT!

Original poster
PomBearAtTheGatesOfDawn · 27/09/2011 22:54

Now thereby hangs the question Flower - I'm not entirely sure which side he's on hangs head in shame because my attention was taken by stopping no4 son hurling himself bodily into oncoming traffic at that point... I think he's Miguel of the Resistance and secretly works to bring peace while pretending to be on both side but actually not being on either, but would have to ask surreptitious questions to be sure. I'd prefer marmite because I can buy a jar for him to bring home with him, whereas maple syrup might prove more tricky to find...
and OOO at tattoo - brainwave! I could embroider one Grin or more even

OP posts:
UniS · 27/09/2011 22:53

thats gonna be hard to make look bad ass. All those pastel shades and teh chesey smile....

eye patch, camo cap ,Sargent stripes, some mud/ dirt in the wrapping paper. ?

Flowerista · 27/09/2011 22:53

Wouldn't the red cross have passed the message, probably written on a cabbage leaf.

pyjamasinbananas · 27/09/2011 22:53

He went into his crysalis (apologies for spelling) saw the smuggled note and thought no way am I changing into a butterfly I have to find my family.

Are you listening Disney?!! This is genius stuff!! Hire children!! In a good way obviously...

Flowerista · 27/09/2011 22:51

Is he on the side of the Marmites or Maple Syrups? Would drive the style of medal and possibly tattoo? Definitely a scar and beret which must be at rakish angle.

Original poster
PomBearAtTheGatesOfDawn · 27/09/2011 22:48

There's a long long saga explaining why he isn't a butterfly Yourefired - to my shame I can't remember it all, but DD has it all worked out.
Good thinking pyjamas when Mrs Tuna arrived Santa left a note telling us how she'd written to him and asked for his help to find Sydney, so maybe that will work again, or Mr. T could have got one letter smuggled through that told him where his family are.... Grin

OP posts:
ApocalypseCheeseToastie · 27/09/2011 22:47

Pirate butterfly !

Yourefired · 27/09/2011 22:43

Would he not be a butterfly by now?

Salmotrutta · 27/09/2011 22:41

You should get her to write these stories down!

pyjamasinbananas · 27/09/2011 22:38

I'm in awe of your DD!! She sounds hilarious! mental note to make DS more amusing for mn posting reasons he needs a passport and a letter from mrs tuna with your address (how else would he know where to go)

Original poster
PomBearAtTheGatesOfDawn · 27/09/2011 22:38

oooooo a beret - Probably doable - the actual toy is the giant Animal Alley caterpillar from Toys R Us and is five feet long, so big enough for kids hats and stuff to fit and not look too daft. Mrs Tuna is one of those too, Sydney is not the same but that's explained by him being the child Grin and the saga of why none of them have ever been a chrysalis or a butterfly made great listening too! DD has the most wonderful imagination and comes out with lovely stories, I often wish I had one of those little tape machines to record her.

OP posts:
rhondajean · 27/09/2011 22:37

DD2 has a habit of asking for odd things like this. Try finding a toy hedgehog, of specific size, which must come in a cup, and the cup must have robins on it.

I think shes doing it for a laugh to see how frazzled she can get me!! Cant she just ask for Barbie like other little girls?

Nah I love it, and I think you should post photos for us of the Tuna family, including Miguel after he is released.

Salmotrutta · 27/09/2011 22:35

Who wasn't Mexican obviously Hmm

Salmotrutta · 27/09/2011 22:35

Your DD sounds like an author in the making! Grin

Loving the bandolero bullet belt idea! A Mexican Military Rebel! Like Pancho Villa. Or he could have a black beret like Che Guevara?