A part of our family has been as close to us as one can be in the last 16 months; with us every step of the way. She's dried Grace's tears, snuggled her troubles away and held her hand through good and tough times. A soft "shoulder" to cry on, a sweet "kiss" of encouragement, she's been the world to Grace for as long as she can remember. But, it turns out, "Minky" has been a wolf in sheep's clothing. She's remained crouched behind my toddler until now, always quiet and there when we needed her....but lately, she has consumed my little girl's world and turned her wild. She's my one year old's Tyler Durden; her alter ego that requires endless, time consuming attention.
Up until a couple weeks ago, Grace never called her purple & green, half satin, half minky blanket by name. When she needed her, she would cry huge crocodile tears until they were reunited. A hundred times I tried to get her to say "Minky", or I would ask repeatedly, while dangling the precious blankie, "Who IS this?" Finally, she named her. Minky is now "Mu-mu". I don't know where she got the name (maybe a variation of Mama? ;o) but it rolls off her tongue as easily as the word "No". You would think this would come as a relief, finally a name! No more crying! A simple "Mu-Mu?" request and her father or I would be on the case like hound dogs, searching the perimeter for this purple and green angel. Nope. No such luck. The requests are now constant. In the tub, "Mu-Mu?" While eating Mac n cheese, "Mu-Mu?" Running around outside, "Mu-Mu?" Suddenly, Mu-Mu has become our world, not just a piece of fabric in it. It is VERY rare to see Grace without Mu-Mu, she has become an extension of her.
Trying to get Grace in and out of her car seat is like wrestling an eel out of a cats mouth. Pulling her arms through the safety harness' while she clenches a slippery, satin blanket is much more difficult than it sounds. I struggle every time to peel Mu-Mu out of her hands while I buckle or unbuckle. She holds her in a Kung-Fu grip like she will never see her again if she let's go. However brief the second, I see Grace tense up when Mu-Mu is mine and not her's.
I accept that naptime/ bedtime requires someone strong and stedfast like Mu-Mu, but lately anytime she is laying down she gets "Mu-Mu brain". A simple diaper change, completed by a professional like myself, must be done one handed while pushing a clean blanket away from the offending area with the other. If I even thought of putting Mu-Mu aside while I quickly wiped a tooshie I would absolutely be tortured with kicks, screams and "Muuuuuuuuuu-Muuuuuuuuuu!!!!"
We have 4 Mu-Mu's, they are all in the laundry rotation. Previously (in our "Minky days") the switch was easy. Dirty Mu-Mu in the hamper, clean one in her hands. Not so anymore! For some unknown reason, the sight of two Mu-Mu's is life altering. While holding one, she will reach out screaming for it's dirty twin.
I shouldn't complain. Mu-Mu has been so good to us. She's left us paci free, thumb sucking free and still tear-free at bedtime. Who am I to care if she's also built an invisible, electric fence around herself; get 20 feet away from her and the whole family feels the jolt of Grace's screams. At the end of the day, she makes my little miss happy and that's all a mother ever wants for her children.
Mu-Mu, thank you. We all know I'll be seeing you soon.
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