I am long past the days of having the toddler who won't go to bed without "the" stuffed animal or blanket. Really, neither of my kids were so attached to such a thing that they could not function without it. Er in did have a blanket that she was fond of but not obsessive about. It was a blanket that I knitted out of rose colored Sugar and Cream cotton. It was intended to be a shower gift for my college roommate's third child. When I got it off the needles, Erin, about six months old at the time, grabbed it and rolled yourself up in it. I must confess, it did not make it to the intended baby. I think I sent a book or something.
Erin was happy with this blanket for quite a while. When she was six, we were taking a trip to Europe. I was leaving a week before Mike and the girls. So, I packed the girls' things before I left. No telling what would have emerged from the suitcase in France if I had left the packing to Daddy! I said to Erin, "Do you want me to pack your blanket now or will you remember to pack it before you leave?" She decided that she did not want to take it at all because she might "Leave it in a strange hotel somewhere." Not bad logic for a six year old. The consolation was that BK said that she would knit her a new blanket during the week before she got there. That is a whole other story. The deal is, the blanket was a popular item. I think that she still has "the Europe blanket." However, we do not have to be certain of its whereabouts each night at bedtime. It probably resides under her bed with . . .never mind, I think I won't go there.
So, the past two nights I have gotten little to no sleep because Harley (the dog) has not wanted to sleep. When she is on the bed she wants down and when she is on the floor she wants up. I have spent two nights lifting her up and down like a 13 pound dumbbell. I am not sure what her deal is.
I did notice that each morning when I got up, she had dragged her blankie from her crate (which she only spends time in when we are gone) to the side of the bed. This morning, at 6:30, when I realized it was there, I picked her and it up and put them both in bed. She slept until the alarm went off an hour or so later.
Harley has had this blanket since the day we got her and it has always been in her crate or on the couch when she watches TV with the girls. I did send it to the vet with her when she was boarded a few weeks ago, but this fascination with it has just started. Tonight when I go to bed, I will start with the blanket in bed. I hope this makes for a better night's sleep!
I also decided that if she was going to be a blanket baby, she needed to have more than one so that it can occasionally make its way to the wash. "The Blankie" is a fringed polar fleece blanket. Today, while at Joann Fabrics looking at knitting books that were 40% off, I noticed that the fleece was also on sale. I bought a yard each of two colors to make her another blanket. I am not sure when I will get this done. Hopefully I will have an hour or so this weekend to make it.
In the line at Joann's, I was behind a woman who was buying a whole bunch of fabric to make receiving blankets for the babies at Parkland Hospital in Dallas. We make knitted blankets and layettes for these babies, 85% of whom are born into families living at or below the poverty level. When it came my turn to have my fabric cut, the salesperson asked me if I too was making blankets for Parkland. "Ah, no. I am making a blanket for . . my . . .dog." 'What king of dog is it?!", she said expecting some fancy breed or famous name or something other than what I said - 'Brown." 'Brown?", she questioned. "Yeah she is a little brown mutt that we rescued." 'Well, I guess she is a lucky . . .brown . . .dog.", was the best response the woman could muster.
I did feel a little silly after hearing that the woman in front of me was doing good work for babies in need. Well, I was doing something for someone in need as well. It may be a little (or a lot) selfish, but I am a person in need . . .in need of a good night's sleep. If this can be accomplished by making the dog a blankie, I am game. I hope it works.
Does anyone know how long it takes a dog to grow out of the blankie stage?
