The Magic Blanket

The Big Boy Update:  The Magic Blanket

Tonight's blog post is about an interesting phenomenon I've seen three times now with my son.   I think things similar, but not identical to this happen all over the world with children when they're reunited with items they have a strong comfort attachment to, but it's always interesting to see in your own child.

My son has a "Baby Baby Baby" blanket.   It's named that because that's what it says all over the front side of it.   My son loves this blanket.   He loved it so much when he was younger that I saw a potential problem arising if we didn't reduce his affection for it in some way.   I redirected the blanket, "to be washed" from time to time and when it was clean, put it away in the closet or a drawer.    Later, when my son had forgotten about his best blanket, I'd find it again and he'd always be happily reunited with it.

I wasn't being mean, on the contrary, I was being kind.   I've heard the stories where the lovie or blanket or doll the child just can not go to bed without is left or lost.   The trauma of separation is extreme and no one is happy.   Parents do crazy things to get those missing items back and reunited with their squalling child.   I never wanted that to happen, so we never let an attachment become a necessity.

Three times now, my son has either found his blanket or I've brought it out to him.   Each time, he has been so happy to find it, he calmly gets in his bed, lies on his back, covers himself up with it (or covers what he can now that he's bigger) and goes right to sleep.

Today, he saw the blanket in plain sight on a top shelf he hadn't noticed in maybe four months and brought it down.   We looked at the letters because he's now working on them at school and he and his sister sounded out the word "baby" multiple times.   Then, for no real need or reason, he slept for almost three hours this afternoon.

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  Out of the blue today, my daughter asked me, "mom, may I get a gluten free snack?"  Where did this come from?   We are gluten enthusiasts in this household.   I told her, "you may finish your banana you left on your plate."  She replied, "my banana is starchy."

Fitness Update:  We ran in a Girls on the Run race today with my neighbor and her daughter, Maddie.  Uncle Jonathan wore a pink tutu, red and black long, flowing wig and even shaved his legs.   I wore a flame orange wig myself.   Tomorrow we run the Rock and Roll marathon.   I suppose I'd better get to bed after I write this...