A Boy's Best Friends

Zaya's favorite toys are his plush microbes. They came to my attention at a time when I was at my wit's end as to what kind of toys to get him. He just didn't enjoy playing with normal toys when he was little. I tried every kind of block known to man. We tried trucks, cars, tractors and all the other toys that little boys are supposed to love. He looked at them. He pushed them around a bit, then he wondered off and started looking at anatomy books. Sigh.

And then I found ThinkGeek. It's a website that sells geeky items for adults and children. They also sell Plush Microbes. A child who loves to pretend to be a white blood cell or a cold virus, and who also loves to snuggle with stuffed animals, is a child for which the Plush Microbe was created. He started his collection at the age of three with the basics: influenza, the common cold, and Strep. Over the years the collection has expanded, gaining members every birthday and Christmas.  Here they are below.

This first group is the cells. They aren't actually microbes at all. They are the good guys, in fact. We started buying them after we found him saying things like "Mommy, I would like to sleep with Ebola tonight." I just couldn't handle that thought. Sleeping with a red blood cell is much less ominous. Below are: Fat cell, Platelet, Skin Cell, Brain cell, Neuron, White blood cell, Red blood cell, Bone cell, and Stem cell.

Then come the bacteria. From left to right, starting in the back: Salmonella, Gangrene, E. Coli, Black Death, MRSA, Shigella, Ear Infection, Strep, Flesh-eating disease, Gingivitis, and Anthrax. (The discerning eye may notice that Ear infection, Strep and Flesh-Eating Disease are all varieties of Streptococcus. In fact, MRSA is as well, but his little cloak disguises him.

Next we have the viruses. There aren't as many of these, because quite a few of the viruses available for sale are of...diseases of a certain type. I haven't allowed the kids to have these. This decision has already led to my son announcing to his Kindergarten class that his Mommy wouldn't "let him have Herpes." Yes, it's funnier now than it was then. So, on to the viruses. Left to right, Chicken Pox, Ebola, Common cold, Mono, Influenza and Rabies.

Last but not least, we have a collection of miscellaneous. Several of these are completely harmless. Mad Cow Disease is our only prion. The Fungi/Plant Life: Toxic Mold, Penicillin,Yogurt, Algae and Pollen (representing Hay Fever.) The little creatures are a Waterbear, Malaria, Louse and Bookworm.

This Christmas we added Krill, T4, Dengue Fever and Martian Life between both kids. They came a little too late to get in on the family pictures, but they've settled in nicely.

Now you've met the whole family. Don't be afraid to visit, though, they're put away in a container. It's not hermetically sealed, granted, but I still think it will be alright if you don't make them angry.