story by Gloria Cowdin, photos by Kelly Fletcher

Many people associate stuffed animals and blankets with children, but many STA students continue to sleep with these childhood tokens. The Dart interviewed a student from each grade to discover the sentimental reasons behind keeping stuffed animals and/or blankets throughout high school and even college.

When freshman Emma Swinney was young, she feared her house would catch on fire while she was sleeping. Her number-one priority if such a tragedy struck: saving Froggie and Mousie.

“I would sleep with them in my shirt so they wouldn’t burn,” Swinney said.

For more than 10 years, Swinney has slept with her stuffed frog, Froggie, and stuffed mouse, Mousie. When Swinney was young, her grandma bought the stuffed animals for her at estate sales. Despite their previous lives and the wear Swinney has put them through, Froggie and Mousie are still in one piece.

“Mousie came with bells,” Swinney said. “I apparently ripped them off right after I got [her].”

Swinney still sleeps with her stuffed animals today and plans to continue doing so. Froggie and Mousie have a bright future, with Swinney planning on passing them on to possible future children. Swinney expects these childhood relics, who already had a mysterious past when they were given to her, to continue providing children with comfort for the rest of their days.

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Sophomore Siena Hutchison knows what devotion is. When Hutchison was around 10 years old, her stuffed lamb, Lambie, went missing at an outdoor sleepover. Three months later, Hutchison’s friend called with the news: her friend’s brother had found Lambie in his sleeping bag while at Boy Scout camp and threw her into the campfire because she was too “girly.” Lambie was reduced to ash.

After Lambie’s tragic demise, Hutchison and her father visited nearly every Kansas City toy store to find a replacement. Finally, the original Lambie’s doppelgänger was found on eBay. The legacy of Lambie continues through the replacement Lambie, carrying the same bond for Hutchison as the original.

Hutchison received the original Lambie pre-birth as a gift at a baby shower, and has slept with the lamb ever since she was born. Lambie was soon accompanied by Blankie, a gift from Hutchison’s grandmother. Since then, Lambie and Blankie have been Hutchison’s constant bedtime companions.

“My favorite memory of Lambie and Blankie is when I went to Disneyworld with my family and I insisted on carrying them with me everywhere I went,” Hutchison said. “They’re in every single picture we took.”

“I plan to keep Lambie and Blankie for as long as they last,” Hutchison said. “Even if I don’t continue to sleep with them I want to keep them as ‘souvenirs.’”

Hutchison has an emotional connection to her stuffed animal and blanket that she feels is unusual for many girls her age.

“I think they mean a lot more to me because I’ve slept with them way past any other teenager keeps their childhood stuffed animals,” Hutchison said.

Junior Maggie Hutchison has always relied on a former tablecloth, Blanket, and stuffed pig, Piggie, for comfort and entertainment. Piggie stars as Batpig on weekends, but at night provides the perfect-sized pillow. Blanket was once a tablecloth sewn by Hutchison’s grandma, but became employed as a blanket when Hutchison wanted a night-time companion like her sister Rose’s blanket.

“My sister was so attached to her ‘night-night’ –they might as well have had it surgically removed– that I guess I wanted to be like her, so I started carrying around this little tablecloth,” Hutchison said. “I still think it’s a blanket. It’s just a little small.”

Hutchison acquired Blanket over 13 years ago and admits that it has become a bit tattered. Piggie was a birthday gift to Hutchison when she was 9 or 10. Piggie requires the best care when traveling.

“[I] used to pack [Piggie] in my suitcase when we’d go on trips, but its head had to be peeking out of the flap so it wouldn’t suffocate,” Hutchison said.

As for the future, Hutchison plans on taking Piggie to college in two years, but not Blanket.

“I might have to take Piggie with me just because I need to hold something when I go to sleep and pillows are too big,” Hutchison said. “I don’t think my blanket will be able to make the journey. It’ll just have to retire to a special place in my room.”

When senior Grace Wells leaves for college next year, she will not be alone. Her stuffed monkey Freddy will accompany her.

Wells has slept with Freddy since she received him as a birthday gift over 10 years ago.

“All of my friends think it’s hilarious that I have a stuffed monkey that I still sleep with,” Wells said. “They call him my boyfriend because he’s the number one guy in my life –even though he’s stuffed– and when I brought him to school for the pictures they asked if it was ‘bring your own boyfriend day’.”

Wells doesn’t need Freddy to sleep, but she enjoys having him with her.

“[Freddy’s] the perfect size and he is super soft, but not too soft,” Wells said.

When Wells went to a medical summer camp at Villanova University sophomore year, Freddy was with her. When Wells goes to college next year, Freddy will be with her. Freddy goes where Wells goes, as long as he fits in her suitcase.

“I will for sure be taking [Freddy] to college with me,” Wells said. “My roommates can judge me all they want but Freddy is coming. I think it’s a comfort thing. I will feel more at home if I have him there.”