Let me introduce you to Nate. He’s not yet two years old, and he might just have the sweetest little toddler smile on the planet. This pic should prove my point:
Adorable, right? Nate hasn’t had an easy time lately – he just recovered from a scary fever of 106, and has been going through an intense couple months of therapy every day (he was recently diagnosed with autism). His amazing mom, Ann, has started a blog called “Nate is Great” that details the ups and downs of Nate’s daily therapy – you can read her blog here. Nate’s a trooper and has been doing really awesome, according to his mom, and he is nearly always accompanied in his awesomeness by his best friend, Hobbes. Here’s Hobbes:
This is what Nate’s mom, Ann, writes about Hobbes: “Hobbes and Nate are the best of friends. When Nate sees Hobbes, he gets excited, grabs him, and gives him a giant hug and a really sloppy kiss. Being nonverbal, it warms our heart to so clearly see Nate express joy and happiness when he sees his pal. While we try to leave Hobbes in Nate’s crib for sleeping time, he somehow winds up going on adventures all over the house. He’s got the perfect tail for chewing, rubbing, and dragging and he’s awful snuggly and sweet. Due to multiple washings, Hobbes is also losing body mass (read: the stuffing is getting patted down) so we are very excited to have Hobbes preserved through your work!”
Emails like that REALLY make my day, and make me so happy that I can do a little something to contribute to kids’ lasting memories. I hope Nate finds as much joy in his portrait of Hobbes as I experienced painting it! Here’s the finished portrait:
BIG special thanks to Ann and Nate for sharing their story!
**I encourage all of my customers to share the story of their child’s favorite toy. If you would like to feature your own child’s toy story on this blog, please email me your child’s information after purchasing your toy portrait!**