Pika-Boy and Trent

It was during our epic Western Adventure that Buddy first became obsessed with Pikas. (Which is – as we discovered – a small mammal that lives in the higher elevations and looks a little like a rabbit. It is continually moving – just like Buddy – which may be one reason Buddy likes them so well!)

We thought it was a passing fade that would last until the trip was over.

We were wrong.

He loved them so much that he changed his name to Pika Boy. He checked books out of the library about pikas. He rearranged the magnetic letters on the fridge so that they spelled “Pika”. He spouted off information about pikas at meal times, in the car, and any other time he had a captive audience.

So for Christmas – we found him a beanie baby Pika – wrapped it up and put it in his stocking.

I have never seen a kid so excited when he unwrapped it on Christmas morning!  We even heard him later singing in the shower, “I got a pika, I got a pika!”

Yes – he looks a little like a mouse. I keep telling myself he is not alive – but I still don’t like to touch him. I’m so brave. Not.

The little guy was named Trent. When we asked him why, Buddy said, “He just looks like a Trent.”

How we could argue with that?

I’ve been amazed at the creativity that Trent inspired!

It began with a new home. Buddy spent the next two days constructing a unique house for his special friend out of the cardboard boxes left over from Christmas.

Please note the Pika sized door for easy access to the spacious open lay-out.

And being the good mom that I am – I even ventured into the attic to find some Easter grass for Trent to lay on.

But the creativity didn’t end there.

Just this week Buddy decided that Trent needed to be more mobile.

So he created the one-of-a kind- super-amazing “Pika-mobile” out of Legos.

It hooks to the rear of  his remote control car. Now Buddy and Trent can buzz along at great speeds all over the house.

Happy boy. Happy pika.

Who knew. All this fun and creativity out of one small stocking stuffer.