Big Doll (yes, that is her real name), Squeaky, and Fongoo (my security blanket)

These are my three best-beloved early toys.  I can’t remember a time when I didn’t have Squeaky or the blanket and I remember being absolutely thrilled to get Big Doll one Christmas.  Being the biggest doll, she was also the most important doll and would remain as the top doll even after I got my most beautiful doll in the satin and lace dress.  Big Doll got a lot of play.  She was superior to the other dolls we had at the time because she was jointed and was a nice fit for all of our baby doll toys.  Bethani had a matching, smaller doll, so naturally, they were often sisters.  When I got older, I tried to give Big Doll a proper name, but nothing ever stuck and “Big Doll” she remains to this day.

Squeaky was a toy I got when I was a baby.  He is very nice with his orange front and furry back.  He is named “Squeaky” because his ears/arms have different toned squeakers in them; his body is also a rattle.  I loved Squeaky because he could play peek-a-boo and entertain the other toys (Big Doll most assuredly among them).  He squeaked to talk, which made him a very vocal (and probably betimes annoying) member of the play squad.  Squeaky and the blanket have a very close relationship.

I am not sure when I named the blanket “Fongoo” or where the name came from. Although not a toy proper, it was a well-used prop during play.  It/she could be a tent or an animal-bouncing parachute.  Oh boy how I loved (love?) that blanket.  I loved stroking and manipulating the yarn flowers; some of my pet ties even had names, though I can’t remember them now.  Grandma Baggs had this blanket made for me, as well as another blanket with kittens on it and a pink afghan.  Those didn’t have names, but they got played with as well.