The Tale of Baby Shrek

First off, I hate animated movies. For me, they went downhill after The Lion King. I absolutely loved that movie. I much prefer horror or drama and consider animated movies to be a "waste of my time." Although, maybe if I spent a little less time always trying to watch something "educational" I might be a little less high strung. Aaron is forever professing his love for movies like Finding Nemo and Shrek, I will not oblige.

Some of you may know this about me and to some this may come as a surprise. I love McDonald's. I love it, I adore it, and I know it's horrible food- so please no scolding. When I go I always get the same thing: a cheeseburger happy-meal with root beer and I always pick the boy's toy so I can give it to my nephew, Xander. This all has a connection, keep reading.

Around June I went there and got "my usual." The toy this time was particularly interesting to me. It was Shrek, but he was a baby. Now, I have never seen any of the Shrek movies. I don't have 3 hours of time I am willing to devote to a cartoon, which will give me nothing in return. I would much rather watch 3 hours of Forensic Files. But, I have to say, this Baby Shrek appealed to my inner child. I like the little guy; he's very cute. I didn't know his back story as I didn't see the movies, but I wanted to keep him. So, I had a brilliant idea.

Since June, Aaron and I have been playing the game, "Where's Baby Shrek?" I will hide Baby Shrek somewhere in the apartment, leave a clue on the refrigerator and Aaron will find him and re-hide him leaving a new clue on the fridge. But there is a twist... we made his life and his adventures into a story... so the clues are covert (nothing is simple in my life.)

So, for instance, Baby Shrek has to have a story. If someone where to take all the pages we have accumulated and read them, it would read like a blog for Baby Shrek--it all makes sense and is sequential. Second, we put a date and time on every entry so we know how long it takes us to find him. Third, he can only be referred to by his proper name, Baby Shrek. Lastly, all the clues have to read like a story. Here's an example of a clue:

"Once Baby Shrek returned from Maine (where he was for the last clue) he was chilled to the bone by the climate up North. He decided he wanted to go to Grammy Molloy's house where he knew she would keep him safe and warm." (quite often we involve family & friends in the clues)

Now, there are several possibilities there; Maine could be a clue, chilled to the bone, Grammy Molloy's, and safe and warm. All of those point to things around our house. In this case, the baby was actually folded up in a quilt that Aaron's mother "Grammy Molloy" made. Hence, keeping him warm.

I know it sounds bazaar, but it's one of the things that Aaron and I do. It's one of our quirks. Recently, our friend Alli was here and noticed the "story" on our fridge. Once we explained it to her, she too conceded that she and her partner used to do something similar for each other. Not hide a plastic figure from a happy-meal and spend hours detailing his itinerary, but something that the two of them understood and was a bit of a "game."

Quite often I will be at work, and I will get a text from Aaron. It will be a picture of Baby Shrek, who he has found and often I will yell " NOOOOO!!" out loud in my office, as I know it means my hiding spot was too easy, and now I face the challenge of having to find Baby Shrek. This little guy has been more place than I can list here. However I will share a few; Baby Shrek has lived in the bag of flour, in the tank of the toilet, been taped to the track lighting, been found inside the dust cover of the movie Jaws, and is currently hiding... I can't tell you where... Aaron could be reading, laying in wait for that extra clue to sniff out Baby Shrek and defeat me once again!

I have to say, going back and reading this blog, I sound certifiably insane. But the excitement and anticipation I feel when I see Baby Shrek has not only been sniffed out from where I last hid him, but is "on the run again" is well worth the awkwardness of explaining the "Tales of Baby Shrek."