I have heard the stories a million times. When I was a wee tot, I had a blanket that went everywhere with me. I called it my "gunk". It was a quilt my grandmother made, and had little bonneted girls all over it. My mom still has what it left of that blanket, which, sadly is not much. Bits and pieces of dirty, scruffy cloth, held together by an extra strong stitch here and there.The odd thing was, before I could go to sleep, or if I was really upset and needed calming, I would take an edge of the blanket, and rub the side of my nose, then my ear, then the corner of my eye, while sucking my thumb with the other hand. I would repeat this circle until I fell asleep or was sufficiently calm.
All my life, my mom and dad have teased me about my gunk. About how weird that was...
And now I have produced a second generation of weird blanket people.
When we took Colby's bed apart, he freaked. And in the middle of his screaming tantrum, he ripped the fitted sheet off of the mattress that we had up against the wall... and he has hardly let it out of his sight since.
(I am sure the child psychologist people would say that his attachment is part of us taking his bed apart too early, and thus forcing him into a toddlerhood that he was not ready for. Well, then he shouldn't have been diving out of his bed on to the hardwood every night.)
He calls it his "didgee". He will not eat unless didgee is in his lap. He cannot ride quietly in the car, unless he has didgee to hold. When he is busy playing, it is either over his shoulder Linus-style, or it is wrapped around his neck like a really ugly scarf. The only time he is without it is at daycare, because they don't allow personal items from home. And the most heartbreaking thing of all is that each morning, when it is time to get out of the car, he puts didgee to his face, and inhales deeply... and then gives it a hug and a kiss. (I worry about the day when we "lose" didgee, because I can't find a backup anywhere.)
And the weirdo part? When he is tired, or very upset, he takes a small piece of the sheet and rubs his nose, and then his ear. While he sucks his thumb with the other hand.
Hopefully he will turn out better adjusted than I am!
3 comments:
My dh still sleeps with the pillow he had as a child on his head. Not under, on. So, I was amazed when my dd has become attached to her own little pillow. Its genetic I tell you
OMG...How cute is it that he does the same rubbing that you did? I rubbed my blankey between each finger on both hands. I was surprised when Patrick and I both showed each other our blankies...both called Blankey and, although one started out blue and one pink, they are now both white waffle weave piles of shreds. You cannot tell his blankey apart from my blankey...Although, like Colby, I think I can by smell!
How funny!!! And unbelievably sweet.
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