I just read a post by one of my nieces-in-law about their conference weekend, it included the traumatic washing of a beloved blankie. I just loved it - not the trauma but the memories evoked of our own blankie separation troubles. I started to write a long comment and then the computer timed out! While bootin' up again, I decided I'd do my own post on blankies - and this is what I have to say (pictures to follow).
I looked, with no luck, for a Linus and Lucy cartoon where Lucy is giving the play by play count down from washer to dryer of Linus' blanket getting washed - in the meantime Linus looks like he's going to self destruct. Then the blanket is returned to his hands - ahhhhh, all better.
Wouldn't it be nice if we all had something that just to hold it or touch it made everything all better? Maybe we do - what simple things make everything all better for you?
I had a blankie when I was a kid - it was called "feety warmer" - the perfect name for a blanket that was lovingly wrapped around my feet at night when being tucked into bed. I don't know what happened to feety warmer.
We had three blankie kids in our house. Eric, Ryan and Claire. I tried to avoid the blanket attachment by rotating blankets for Eric, but realized the effort was for not when I found Eric under the crib one day (where I stored the blankets) digging through the pile for the special blanket of his choice. It turned to tatters, almost disintegrated over time. Ryan, wouldn't you know, picked a family heirloom for his blankie (I'm serious) - it too disintegrated over time. I know, you're all wondering why we'd give him an heirloom as a blanket. I don't know! At the time, it made sense to me that he have his father's blanket that a great grandmother had made and it had been preserved all that time. Eric had the same chance at the same blanket. He just didn't choose that one. We can honestly say the heirloom was loved beyond measure. Claire had a much sturdier blanket. Hers exists today. Granted one particular edge of the blanket is totally messed up, but it is still very much a blanket - she still had it in 5th grade. I do not know where the blanket is now, possibly stowed under the covers at the end of her bed...? Noooo. I really think it has been tucked away somewhere in a box. I don't recall what went first, the blanket or the thumb. She is so organized, she weaned herself based on a schedule and rules she made up for herself. I'll have to ask her where the blanket is.
I asked - she doesn't know???
One of our - *my* - favorite books of all time - OWEN by Kevin Henkes - the story of a little mouse boy who will soon be going to school but what about the blanket he loves?
PicturesEric - finding the perfect comforter And wouldn't you know, the one he's leaning on is the heirloom! But he ultimately ended up with one of those woven ones with a wide satiny ribbon on the edge.
Look at that finger action going there - rubbing that ribbon
A few years later - tatters - can you guess what's going on here?
Ryan wrapped up in his blankie - we all thought wearing blankets on the head was all about protection from sand and heat etc, now we know, it's really just a practical way to carry around your blankie.
Claire came to the world in need of lots of security with three older brothers around. It came in the form of silky blankets from grandmas. She slept on and under silky blankets. Concerned she'd still need a silky blanket when she was grown, grandma Judy had a queen size blanket made for her. But here are some pictures of the ones she started on and the one in particular that became her best friend and comfort - the one without lace.
And Evan - he was not a blanket boy - he found security and comfort in other things...
I so wish I had a picture of him with his dust mask on his head but can't find one anywhere but I think goggles were there giving him his special powers or whatever it was they did for him for just as long as he wore dust masks.
And with all that - look how they've turned out -
Ooooh - I love my kids!
