Daddy's Girl

Blankets are totemic items in our house. Large or small, fuzzy or quilted, designed for winter nights or summer months, each one is coveted, a treasure to be safeguarded.

The toddler is our dragon of the blankets of course. I can't so much as wrap a blanket around the baby without loud cries of, "Too, too!" coming from big sister.

Imbued with this kind of power, blankets are capable of protecting and soothing under even the worst circumstances. With Daddy being so far away lately, they've been in greater demand than ever. It doesn't matter that the thermometer reads "sweltering", I am constantly beseeched for more blankets.

"I cold, Mommy," she'll cry, then without waiting for response repeat, "Mommy, I cold!"

I'll help her wrap up in whichever blanket she's brought to me and she'll be happy for a few minutes. Then she'll kick it off, realize what she's done and start crying for Mommy to come and fix it all.

I wish I could fix the bigger things in her life as easily as I can wrap her in her blankets. She misses her daddy so bitterly.

This move can't happen soon enough.