The Purple Hippopotomus...

When we were both children my little sister got a purple stuffed hippo for Christmas. I think it was because of that 'I want a hippopotamus for Christmas song. I remember it had a little pink belly and you could wind it up and it played a little music box tune. She loved that thing and carried it around with her for years. It went to bed with her every night and I remember she would listen to that tune until she fell asleep. It got lost along the way when we moved, and I lost my sister to a drunk driver when she was 14. I based Parsley off old photos of me as a kid, and, when I got the opportunity to make a sister for her, I based Pepper on how I remember my little sister looked at around the same time (she was about 2 years younger than me). I don't buy a lot of little toys and pets for my girls (there's just not enough room in my house) but when I saw this little purple hippo with the pink belly I knew I had to get it for Pepper. It's funny, as a kid that music box toy drove me nuts when I was trying to get to sleep, now I remember it fondly.

And on a lighter note: Pepper and her sisters, barefoot and enjoying the spring weather...