Yesterday, we took a day trip up to my parents' house for their 40th wedding anniversary party. (We'd planned to make a weekend of it, but the forecast of yet another winter storm prompted us to make it a day trip instead. This winter thing is getting old. But I digress.) So, in the rush of leaving, it turns out we forgot one very important thing. Nora's blanket. I realized it when we were about 25 minutes north. And we made the decision to forge ahead. We'd make it through the day without it.
Now, if you've met my daughter, you've probably also met her yellow blanket. Though she doesn't carry it with her everywhere, it's her security and when she needs it, she'll scoop it up, pop her thumb in her mouth, and ahhh, everything's OK.
The day went very well. The kids had fun running around and playing with their cousins. We talked to people we hadn't seen in awhile and we were glad to have made the trip and be there for my parents. Nora missed her usual 2-hour midday nap, so we figured she'd hit the car seat and conk out. I think I even hazarded the thought, maybe we don't need that blanket after all.
But, she did not fall asleep. No sir. My little 21-month-old, who by all rights should have been exhausted, stayed awake the whole way home. And crying. I was able to distract her for 10-15 minutes at a time, but it would eventually end in cries of "mine" and disgusted rejection of any replacement blankets I'd try to offer. Then I'd distract her again -- reading books, showing her pictures from Jon's iPod, playing a game of "where's Nora's nose" -- until she'd eventually remember she still didn't have what she really wanted.
When we got home, I took her into the house and picked up her blanket from the living room floor. In went the thumb and all was right with the world again.
Like I said, one stubborn cookie.
1 comment:
What a cutie! Poor kid. She doesn't ask for much in the world. You'd think her parents could manage one thing. :)
Actually, we made a similar mistake last year when we went to Orlando. I decided Jack didn't need his blanket, so I left it at home. Once we got there, he was MAD when it was nap time. Luckily, I bribed him by buying a cool, new Mickey Mouse blanket. It worked for the week we were there, but I was really worried.
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