it happened

One of my worst fears has been realized. My daughter has lost her pink blankie, aka, her "lovey" or "transitional object". She has had this blanket since she was born and it was her favorite from early infancy. She chose it above all other blankies to be the one she would sleep with every night. And later, she chose it to be the thing to comfort her when she was at school, away from us. She asks for it when she is scared, confused, tired or any time she needs a little comforting. Today my husband took her to school, and as usual, pink blankie was in her backpack. When he picked her up he assumed it was still in her backpack. Tonight, when I was getting her ready for bed I couldn't find it. I called him at work and asked where it was. Silence. "A cold chill just ran through me," he said. "Tell me it's in her backpack." I told him it wasn't. Silence. "It must be at school," he said. Silence. We both knew what kind of night I was in for. I hung up and ran upstairs to my MAC. I had to find another one. Google search: pink baby blanket. Lots of sites. Scanned through them but nothing resembled the pink cotton, satin trimmed floral print blankie I needed. If only I had looked closer at the label on that thing. Why hadn't I done that months ago? I should have read the label and ordered at least one more and kept it in the closet so that when this day came I would be prepared. I felt like such a failure. I went back downstairs to my daughter who was whatching POOH'S HEPHALUMP movie for the third time today. I had to put it on to delay the inevitable. If I was lucky, she might even fall asleep whatching it and I could carry her up to her bed without her waking and wailing for her pink blankie. It was past her bedtime now. She was lying on the floor gazing at the television screen. "Hi Sweetie," I said with an overcompensating smile. She turned to me and said simply, "I want my cold water and my pink blankie." Here we go. Deep breath, "I'll get you your water, but I think you left your blankie at school today." Her eyebrows lowered. Silence. I walked up to the kitchen and brought her sippy cup down to her. "Let's go to bed and read stories," I said, as if nothing was wrong. "I want my pink blankie." Silence. "Sweetie, did you leave your blankie at school today?" She looked at me for a moment and answered, "Nang." (Nang is her word for yes) "Okay, then we'll have to go get it tomorrow." She nodded and then asked me to pick her up and make her fly like a bird to her bedroom. We told stories and listened to Princess Songs. Then I told her I had to clean up downstairs and that I would check on her later. She told me to sing WHISTLE WHILE YOU WORK like Snow White does when she cleans. We both had a good laugh over that one and I told her I would. And that was it. She rolled over and went to sleep.