Yesterday was Sarah’s four-and-a-half birthday.
The idea was Sarah’s, in a way. For the past year we’ve been trying to wean her off her blankie. This is a much-loved piece of fleece cut with scalloped scissors, given to her by Leah upon the occasion of her birth.
Awhile back Sarah pronounced that she was going to give it up when she was four and a half.
She has always had a particular way of holding her blankie. She folds an edge over her finger and holds it to her nose. She’s been doing it this way for as long as I can remember.
She has a very good sense of smell. This has a lot to do with her love for blankie. She likes things that smell of her, of Mark, or myself.
Years ago, as we became aware of her attachment, we made it clear that blankie can’t ever leave the house. Except for bringing her (blankie is female) on extended car trips this rule has never been broken. Of this I am glad.
Although she doesn’t drag it along with her outside it is practically the first thing she seeks out when she gets home in the afternoons.
“Where’s blankie?” she asks.
“Use your searching eyes,” I say. “Where did you see it last?”
It ends up everywhere. It is used for everything imaginable. It’s a cape, a dress, a sled, a magic carpet, a nest, a bed, a turban… you name it.
Fortunately, she never minded when I washed it. And no, we don’t have a backup in case it got shredded or lost.
As of yesterday, blankie is for night time use only. Hey, you didn’t expect us to go cold turkey did you? When we went to school yesterday we told her that blankie would be waiting in her bedroom. There was a bit of a scene last night as I was leaving for an evening out. She was begging to let blankie come downstairs to watch Arthur. We kept our ground.
When I went to kiss her goodbye I saw that she had found something else to sniff: dad’s sweater.
Anyway… photos from her four-an-a-half birthday below.
A half-birthday begins with a half-dinner. (With refills, of course.)
Thank goodness we were able to buy half a cake!
It’s hard to tell by this photo, but there are 4.5 candles on the cake. We sang half the birthday song too.
Why is it that kids never want the piece right on the edge?
Sarah wanted balloons too, but I explained that you couldn’t have half a balloon. She seemed to accept that. Note: no gifts were halved at this party. :)
