Winnie the Pooh and the House at Pooh Corner

by Meghan H. on January 18, 2012

One of the first books I remember reading or hearing, as a child was A.A. Milne’s Adventures of Winnie The Pooh. I adored Pooh and between my own personal love of yummy honey, I always felt that I related to the thoughtful bear and his love of nature. And did I mention honey?

As I got a little bit older cable came to our sleepy little suburb and with it the brand new Disney channel. Back then the Disney channel was still just reruns of the original Mousekateer Club, Mickey Mouse cartoons and of course, The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh cartoon TV show.

I took the lessons of friendship, loyalty and bravery in the face of dangerous heffalumps and woozles to heart. I took those lessons with me, as I grew older, even if they remained slightly buried. Like that first book, which through the years would sit on my bookshelf as my Barbie’s and Rainbow Brite posters were replaced with teenybopper magazines and Motley Crue albums.

My love for that special yellow bear stayed with me into my adult years and when I became a woman on the verge of becoming a mother there was only one choice when it came to decorating the nursery.

My old pal, Pooh Bear.

I remember shopping for stuff for the nursery a few weeks before my son was born. As I got into my car with my shopping bags the classic Kenny Loggins song, “House at Pooh Corner” came on the radio.

If you’re not familiar with the song, it’s about a boy who is friends with Winnie the Pooh and in his imagination he regularly visits Pooh Corner and the Hundred Acre Woods. But the older he gets the harder it is to find his way back until eventually he’s not able to visit his old friend Pooh anymore at all. A metaphor of what happens to all of us, as we grow older.

But the last verse of the song as he passes on his beloved stuffed Pooh bear to his newborn son, the door to Pooh Corner opens again and he’s able to go back through thanks to the joy of becoming a parent.

There I was weeks away from becoming a mother myself, with a car full of Pooh Bear themed nursery items and full of hormones. That moment solidified my love for the stories of Winnie the Pooh in a way I could never really put into words.

So why am I sharing this love of Winnie the Pooh with you today? Because it’s January 18th and today is A.A. Milne birthday–the man who wrote the beloved book of my childhood, and brought Winnie the Pooh to life along with, of course, Winnie’s pals Christopher Robin, Tigger, Eeyore, Piglet, and Roo.

So, sometime today, take a moment, sit down with your kids and read one of the many stories A.A. Milne created. Visit the House of Pooh Corner and enjoy.

“Sometimes,’ said Pooh, ‘the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.” ― A.A. Milne
About the author:
Meghan H. Harvey
Meghan is a mom of two living in the beautiful San Francisco bay area. In between running around with her 7-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter, she writes, blogs, eats lots of chocolate, and drinks lots of coffee. You can find more of her highly caffeinated and chocolate tinged musings at Meg's Idle Chatter or the Silicon Valley Moms blog. You can also find her hiding from any domestic duties on Twitter as @meghan1018.

{ 8 comments }

Peter Schott January 18, 2012 at 2:41 pm

I think we've read a Pooh story or two, but not too many. We enjoyed Frances the Badger quite a bit, along with a wide variety of other stories. I don't recall the song you mention, but I think I'll need to track it down for a listen. Of course, we'd likely just stick the Milne stories instead of the Disney cartoons. The cartoons are cute, but picturing the stories in your mind is so much more powerful. So many great books and stories … so little time.

Life360 January 18, 2012 at 3:12 pm

Hey Peter, I added the video with the song to the article :) You might recognize it!
Cheers,
Kyle

Peter Schott January 19, 2012 at 2:24 pm

I do seem to remember hearing it before. Nice mellow song, good use of clips, though it would have been neat to have some sort of father/son movies mixed in, especially with passing a bear on to a son. :)

Concept reminds me of a couple of web comics drawn up along the lines of Calvin & Hobbes, the next generation. Calvin & Susie are married and dad Calvin gives his little girl a stuffed tiger named Hobbes. It was a cute, but short, set of comics. Fit the style really well.

Cindi January 18, 2012 at 4:11 pm

I have passed on my love of Winnie the Pooh and his friends to both
of our sons! The Hundred Acre Woods is full of magical characters
and good times…When we went to Disneyworld, a few years ago, I
found a replica of the original Pooh Bear and just had to have him!
Thanks, Cindi

Life360 January 18, 2012 at 4:21 pm

Aw :) I love to hear stories of the love for childhood heros like Pooh being passed on. In my family every new member gets a Pooh Bear :)
-Kyle
Life360 Community Manager

giveawayhound January 21, 2012 at 6:14 pm

I love the classic Pooh books. Not a fan of Disney, though.

Donna F. January 23, 2012 at 6:38 pm

I love Winnie the Pooh! I even enjoy it as an adult. I think the group of characters has a lot to teach young children and is better than many of the other options out there today.

Charity S January 28, 2012 at 8:21 pm

This brings back memories of my childhood. Pooh was one of favorite characters as a kid, and I've actually passed this on to my son. Of course, he's just too mature to appreciate him anymore….he'll remember when has kids one day.

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