Ugly Custody Battle

There has been a really ugly custody battle going on for several months here. First some background information. The boys went through a stuffed animal attachment phase when they were younger which kind of died away except for Caleb's love of his lynx. I've been kind of glad that they aren't too into stuffed animals because they can easily take over your house and I try to do a purge every year or so to get rid of as many as I can. How is it that I never buy stuffed animals and somehow we end up with so many each year?! 

So one day all of a sudden Eli decides he wants to claim the lynx for himself (that's Eli for you). Caleb was gracious enough to share and didn't seem to mind too much (that's Caleb for you). But after a while Caleb began missing his linx and started to claim what was his, and so the custody battle began! I won't go into details but every few days I'd have to either reason with Eli that that "diddle diddle" belongs to Caleb or I'd be pleading with Caleb to share with Eli and let him have a turn. I can't tell you how much anguish it has caused me! At some point my toddler psychology tactics quit working and I started telling Eli that we'd just have to go and buy him a kitty too (because none of the other stuffed animals we had would do...not even his once beloved Roarski!). 

I could't believe what I had just promised, that I'd willingly purchase a stuffed animal and bring it home, but we have so many already!!! 

It took me a while to get around to it but we finally made a family trip to the Goodwill. I dug around the shelves that were overflowing with stuffed animals that had previously overtaken other peoples homes till I found a few kitties to choose from. I showed them to Eli and he picked one out, and then I picked one out for Thomas whom had stayed out of the feud but I could foresee problems arising if all his brothers had a kitty and he didn't (that just doesn't fly with triplets). 

Oh crap, did I just do that? I bought not one but two stuffed animals?!

Thankfully that did the trick and the custody battle has been settled and everyone is happy with their diddle diddles. Even Thomas has become quite attached to the kitty I picked out for him, it was a good call, parental win!

This is the lynx that belongs to Caleb.
Phil gave it to me after we'd been dating for a couple of months
(little did I know a future child of mine would be so attached to it!). 

We asked the boys what their kitties names were....
From left to right: Juice, Pancake, and Taco!

Eli is quite thrilled with Pancake!

Thomas and Taco

The cat Eli picked out is pretty silly just like him : )

Taco was cold

Can't forget your diddle diddle at bedtime!

Caleb has full custody of Juice again!
(although he didn't have a name till his brothers also got kitties)

They just had to take their kitties with them!