"A Tale of Two Taggies"

First off a "Taggie" in our home, is a small square blanket with ribbons sewn along all four edges. The white and blue material in Coopers lap.

Okay now that you know what I am talking about lets get onto my story. It all started when Cooper was born and one of my cute beehives made him the "white Taggie". I never thought he would get all that attached, but as days went by, we found that he could not sleep without it.

A few months later that same cute Beehive made me the "blue Taggie". Perfect I thought, now I can give one while the other one was getting washed......

Well he has become rather attached to BOTH of the taggies, and have become essential component of our family, going everywhere with us! He not only has to have them to sleep with, but as you can see......

He has taken them on many hiking trips

to the grocery store, Church, anywhere in the car. Of course whenever he is with friends the Taggies need to come to their house to play also.

Those poor blankets, I know it sacrilege to call them that, get so dirty. They are dragged through the dirt and getting dropped on the floor. Driven over all sorts of makeshift roads collecting dirt and germs of unknown origins. It has come to the point I really should wash them daily. (this brings us back to the story of today).

So as of lately we both have had to compromise to save me from a life as a Old wash woman. When we leave our home, I let Cooper pick only one to come with us. (He is very good to hand me the chosen one), once we are in the car and we hit our destination he will leave the one taggie in the car until we return. If we play outside he gives me both of them or puts them in the house on his own before playing. So I feel like we have made some progress with these prized possessions. Of course trying to wash them is an other issue all together.

Every time I put them in the washer he cries for a good 5 minutes, checking them every 20 minutes. So I have tried everything, letting him put them in the washer himself, sneaking them from him at night while he sleeps, well nothing works he still stands by the washer and cries. Or wakes up in the night and cries for them.

This brings us to today. I thought I was being really sneaky, Cooper fell asleep in the car on our way home from errands with his one taggie in hand. So as I carried him to his bed I purposely left the other one out of his crib and laid him down. I threw a load of laundry in along with the white taggie. Everything was great. He usually takes 3 hour naps in the afternoon. He had been asleep for about 2 1/2 hours and I hear an "uh oh", and then crying. So I go upstairs to find him standing straight up looking for the other taggie! I get him out of bed as he continues to look for it, under the bed, around him room whining about it the whole time. So he took my hand and led me down the stairs to look for the lost Taggie. I showed him that it was in the washer, this appeased his Taggie drive for the moment, but still sulked and was rather grumpy. This sour attitude was due to: (A) he didn't get enough sleep or (B) he is missing his other half!

Meanwhile we have made it through the rest of the day, still a little grumpy, but fine. After his evening bath, lathered in lotion, and pj's on, he jumps off my lap scoots down the stairs and runs straight to the washing machine. Yep he remembered!! By that time the taggie was in the dryer and thankfully dry. I gave him his taggie and of course the rest is history. He has them both and couldn't be happier.

I have decided that my son is pretty darn smart and doesn't forget a thing. I am so amazed at how well he understands things and our communication is getting better. I doubt we will ever get rid of these taggies, but hey as Sheryl Crow taught us that if it makes you happy it cant be that bad.