My Dog Obbles



Wobbles and me

For my first birthday my sister Kathy gave me a pull toy dog named Wobbles. He was brown with black plastic ears that would swing when you pulled him. He had a spring tail with a green ball at the tip and a little red plastic tongue that looked like he was ready to lick your face. He also sported a green collar, a red leash and big yellow wheels. Wobbles was made in such a way that when you pulled him he would wobble along, thus the name.

Since I was only one when I got Wobbles, I was just learning to talk. When I tried to say "Wobbles", it came out as "Obbles" (just like Wobbles but without the W). Over the years, my dog lost his red leash and his tongue. My speech got better and I was able to say, "Wobbles". But Daddy would forever call that dog Obbles. Apparently he thought it was cute when I was little and called it that. By the time I was done playing with the toy, I had nephews and nieces who wanted to play with it. He was given a fancy new leash so they could pull the dog along behind them. And my dad would always say, "Well there's Obbles!" By the time I was a teen, it was kind of embarrassing to hear the story of how Obbles got his name. But that didn't stop Daddy from telling it.



Obbles behind his chair at the farm

When my nieces and nephews would leave Grandma and Grandpa's house, Obbles was always placed in the same spot, behind a chair in the tv room. There he would patiently wait for the kids to pull him out to play the next time they visited. My own kids played with Obbles when we would visit the farm. They always knew where to find him. Over the years, Obbles survived me, my kids, and many nieces and nephews. The farm was his home.

After both of my parents died, I started thinking that maybe it was time to bring Obbles home with me. When my parents were still alive, Obbles belonged at the farm. I think every time they saw that dog, they remembered me as a one year old. It was almost as though I was leaving a bit of myself at the farm for them when I wasn't there. But once they were gone, it was time for Obbles to move in with his original owner. Eric teased me that I'd probably just throw Obbles behind a chair in our living room if I brought him to our house.

After one of our visits to the farm last fall, Obbles made the trip home to Maple Grove with us. My hope is that one day our future grandkids will play with Obbles when they visit our house. And you can be sure that I will proudly tell them the story of how Obbles got his name. Hearing that story used to embarrass me. Now I realize that when Daddy told that story, he was just trying to keep his little girl little for as long as he could.

Just as Mother and Daddy would look at Obbles in their house and remember me as a young child, I now see Obbles in our house and remember them. When I brought Obbles home, I brought a part of my childhood home with me. He has adjusted well in his new home. I decided to make the transition as easy as possible for him and put him behind a chair in our living room. I guess Eric was right. Except I didn't throw Obbles there, but rather set him there lovingly. I know Mother and Daddy would smile if they saw where I put him. And I can hear Daddy say, "Well, there's Obbles!"

Obbles in his new home: behind a chair in our living room