The W.

If you’ve never come for a visit (and – heavens! – why haven’t you?), you know that our house it a little charming and a lot quirky.  Being none too spacious, it was a little bit of a brain teaser to try and determine whether or not we could create some sort of play area for Bennett.  And while I do argue that this is for Bennett, I can’t deny that it’s partly for me, too.  Creating a designated area means that I have some control over compartmentalizing the chaos, the toys, the blankets, etc.

Well, right when you walk into our home, there’s a decent-sized space that’s been good for nothing for far too long.  I can’t even keep a straight face in calling it a foyer, ’cause it’s not.  It’s a nothing.  That’s all it is.  Nothing.  Except now it’s something.  It’s the play area.  You know it’s the play area because it has one of those colorful, puzzle-y play mats (that we were so fortunate to receive as a baby shower gift).

Perhaps you’ve noticed it in the background of some of Benny-boo’s pictures:

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IMAG0299

Well, you wouldn’t believe that this play mat was almost used as a tool to mentally unravel me.  Who needs torture when all you have to do is try what Brian attempted?

You see, the play mat comes with both the letters of the alphabet and several shapes as well.  It fits perfectly in our nothing, non-foyer play area when fitted together as a 5×7 puzzle.  Thirty-five pieces.

One problem.

The puzzle mat came with 36 pieces.

After assembling it, we realized that we had one extra puzzle piece, so Brian suggested, “Let’s just throw away the ‘W’.”

Throw… away… ONE… letter?  But… but then it’s not a whole alphabet!  Emergency!  Emergency! Commencing meltdown in three, two, one…

Oh, it makes my chest tighten to think of it.  In recounting this story to Brian today, I asked to confirm that it was, in fact, the letter ‘W’ that Brian had suggested throwing away.

He shrugged, “I don’t remember.  It was one of those gay letters.”

One of those ‘gay’ letters…?!  Shhhh!  Don’t let them hear you!

Now, I obviously don’t approve of his word choice here, but if you’ve ever met Brian, I’m sure that this statement doesn’t shock you in the least.  I don’t happen to think that any of the letters in the alphabet are “gay” in either the modern sense of the word or the Christmasy “Don-we-now-our-gay-apparel” sense of the word.  They’re priceless, every one.  I mean, sure, the Q’s and the Z’s and the X’s are rarer, but that certainly doesn’t justify a toss out!  What if we treated diamonds that way just because we don’t use them as much?!  And, anyway, everyone knows that the rare ones are worth more in the world of Scrabble!  It literally makes me a little ill to think of which letter I’d throw out if I had to break up the alphabet.

So I put the octagon away instead.  Surely Bennett can wait a few years on the octagon.

Phew.  That was a close one! 

If you had to toss out one letter, which one would you toss?

 

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11 Comments

  1. March 29, 2013
    Momma

    Benny-boo! LOL
    One of these days you’ll have to blog about all the cute little names you’ve given our Squishy. 😉

  2. March 29, 2013
    Melody

    Okay, I have to ask. What qualifies a letter for ‘gay’ status? Can’t even begin to figure it out and MUST know!

    Agree totally with removing shape, not letters. Infinite shapes . Alphabet precious.

    Happy almost Easter.

  3. March 29, 2013
    magnolia

    since J and I look similar maybe you could get away with a toss out of one of them? I am so non observant I wouldn’t notice… And next time I am in VA I want to come see your cute place!

  4. April 1, 2013
    nancyjean

    shapes can go, not letters!

    the minute you think you can do without a q or an x, you will definitely need it!

    and imagine the trauma when Bennett comes home from school crying that his teacher told him he hadn’t said the alphabet correctly because he left out a letter

    no, all letters need to stay 🙂

  5. April 1, 2013
    Manny

    LOL. I don’t know what letter I could forgo. Maybe the y since the “y” sound can be replaced with many EEEEE’s. Like Joey would become JoEE. Ha! Love how I can tell that Squish is watching the telly on that mat. SO cute!

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