Lost, PLEASE help!

[skie]

My 4 year old daughter has lost her number one toy, (a cuddly strawbery with green arms and legs) her boy, her main man, the thing she has slept with and kept close to her since babyhood. (She even had a birthday cake in his image last year, and he is in just about every photo ever taken of her...) It happened four months ago (only explanation is that he went out with the rubbish) and she's actually getting worse, not better (we convinced her that he was lost temporarily in the house, lying waiting to be found, which she believed.) Now she beginning to doubt it and talks about him every night, and first thing in the morning. Last night she started to cry and said, 'I don't think we'll ever find Strawberry..' Whenever anyone says anything like, "We've got a surprise for you..", her first reponse is 'Have you found Strawberry??' I am so desperate, and HAVE to find her another - trouble is he came from a charity shop for 20 p, and all it said on his label was 'PEEKO', which appears to be a toy manufacturer in Korea! He has eyes, a big smile, a red handle and a few leaves on his head! He is about the size of an adult hand! We have photos we can email if anyone has a spare (unloved) toy that fits this description. PLEASE, if there are any mums out there with any ideas on how to find a toy like this, please, please let me know!

Come and pick him (or is it her?).....but that means I'll have to do some housework AND redecorate our manky living room. No I can't allow it!!!!!!

Only joking of course, I'll mail you my address.

it's a him - can't you tell from the picture??!

we could meet somewhere else close to you (local cafe??) if you'd prefer?

I can't stand the wait!

However you decide to reunite them we want a DETAILED account! This is better than any soap, and far more heartwarming.....

Skie, I was only joking, of course you can come an collect him.....just don't look at the tatty woodchip wallpaper.

Besides I don't know of any local cafes

Love this thread. Skie, you ought to tell your local paper.....free advertising for Mumsnet!!! Hope the reunion goes really well.

This really is the best thread ever! Well done everyone!!

big group hug needed!

I feel like I'm having my 15 minutes of fame.

I'm a journalist myself actually! (Get the Observer magazine this Sunday if any mums want to read my article on post natal depression!).
I have already written a piece about losing strawberry for Real magazine - but will have to write another one with a massive plug for mumsnet.
Will also have to give mumsnet a hefty donation when all this is over! (which may be tomorrow)...

SO WHEN IS IT HAPPENING THEN?
I tried to tell my dh this story and after about 10 seconds he started shaking his head.....he has NO IDEA!!!!
just wait til ds loses danda the panda!!!
he will undertsand then!

It really is fab emma. TBH I thought 'strawberry' was such an obscure piece of kit that no one would have a replacement ! Ahhh the magic of mumsnet, warms the cockles, so it does

oooh i know someone who writes for Real

who?! I edit for them too, so may have edited her work...but this is besides the point..

Only saw this thread today Emailed it to boyfriend who didn't quite get why I thought it was lovely. He did suggest it could be a sort of Toy Story film though. Suppose it's a bit Finding Strawberry

erm...well i kindof know her...she is with my ex....!!!

Couldn't log on yesterday to find out how things were going as dh had the laptop. First chace to do it was now, and I'm a blubbering wreck. Thank god dd is asleep otherwise she'd be very concerned over her mother crying at the computer.

Anyway you should contact your local paper. Dh used to be the editor of a local paper and he had a rule that there should be a "feel-good" story on every page to counteract all the crime. If they're dubious about their reader's interest, tell them to log on here to see how good it makes people feel and brings out the best in everyone's nature.

Waiting with baited breath for the grand reunion!
I love this site.
PS where do you live? I'd love to become a fly for the day so I could witness the happy event.

I live in London - but will give blow by blow account and pictures!
May also write the story for a paper myself - if it has a happy ending!
I have been glued to the screen and tearful all day - and just soooo long to tell dd that I think something wonderful is about to happen - but of course, know not to until we've seen him for real!
For those whose dhs/partners don't understand - my dh is a real man's man..non-emotional (only time I've ever seen a tiny tear is at the births of dds...) but he was as gutted as me when we lost strawberry. He has sent off emails everywhere, searched charity shops, given his picture to work colleagues.. He said it felt like we'd lost a much loved family pet - Strawberry was literally never out of dd's hand when she was in the house... like part of her..
This toy calmed her when she was crying, he was all she needed to send her off to sleep...she had drawn pictures of him all over the house (I had to hide some away as it was too horrible seeing his image all over the place...) When I wrote the article about it for Real, I spoke to various parenting experts who were all very sensible and told me not to get involved.. to just be there and help her get over it.. to get some perspective, that it was only a toy. I agreed and tried this for three months.. I told some friends and family I was looking at it as a rite of passage. DD was shortly due to start school (we lost him in October, school started January) so I thought Strawberry got her through the pre-school years, now she was growing up.. etc etc. I tried ALL this - but, unfortunately, dd hadn't read the parenting manuals, didn't know it was time to 'grow up', never believed that strawberry could possibly be gone forever and needed him.. and still does. Finding him (if we have found him) will make her so happy, deeply happy, that however trivial and mad this thread seems.... it isn't. SO THANKS.

You've set me off again Skie!
On the back of this, I'm going to start a new thread on children's comfort items

Can't you just feel the love in the room

This thread has been fantastic, still can't stop grinning - I'm so excited! I've had my teddy - Butch - since the day I was born, he's much repaired but I still love him loads! I would rescue him first in the event of a fire (after DC, DH and pets of course)

This story is getting really famous. I was going to email the link to this thread to a real life friend (a devotee of another parenting site, poor deluded creature) but mumsnet was down (for me anyway) all afternoon.

Anyway, I checked my email this evening and -despite my friend not even being a member of MN - she knew about this thread! Someone on her parenting site had posted a link to it and my friend was saying how lovely it was and had I seen it as she knew I was a Mumsnetter.

We'll be on the BBC news soon

wow martha!!!

Message withdrawn

This is just wonderful, a story with a happy ending. I can't wait for The Reunion, as well!

My grown up ds lost his teddy, Daniel, just before Xmas. He was devastated, as he's had Daniel for 28yrs. He was left in an hotel in San Diego and by the time ds went back there was no sign of him. I don't suppose that anyone has a sort of flat style, 1979-vintage teddy bear from Woolies, that cost 99p?? No, thought not.....

i love mumsnet.

Is the reunion today? Can't remember if Strawberry is going in the post or via Emmatmg??

He's coming via me........waiting for postie as we now as he's been sent record delivery.

Skie and I have exchanged phone numbers so none of this email marlarky to tell her of his arrival.

Will let you all now as soon as he arrives too..........on here though, phoning you all may take a while