A Hard Goodbye

After four years of hard use, the "blankie" made for Paige by her Great Grandma Claire Speirs has literally been loved to pieces.  Today it was time to say goodbye.  It was getting to be a safety hazard as it had big pieces  missing where both she and Noah have been tangled up in.  This girl has slept with this blanket every night since she came home from the hospital.  From the time she was such a teeny tiny peanut that she had to be wrapped up tight and wear a hat to bed to keep herself warm - even in summer - until now it has always been there.  She's used it as everything from comforter to a cape.  She's insisted on taking it almost everywhere with her, carrying it by looping her finger through a quilt tie, snuggled in it by putting her feet between the layers, you name it - this quilt has seen it all.  Sadly, as I looked at it today there really wasn't anything left of it to save as momento.  The pieces remaining are threadbare.  I should have done something with it sooner, but I wasn't ready to admit that it was time for her to move on.  Yes, I shed a tear or two when we said our final goodbye.

 Paige was a big girl about it.  She LOVES that raggedy old rag, but we'd prepared her well for the goodbye and even got her a new snuggle blanket.  Being just a Target purchase, I don't know that this one will be quite as special....but it will serve the purpose since all of my kids have the habit of having to have a blanket to go to bed.  Getting something new also helped make the transition fun.  She got to pick it out herself, and of course it HAD to be pink.  ;)