Blanket

*Picture Coming Soon! Don't Have It At Work*

So I think I mentioned in the 3rd Annual Warren Holiday that Blanket had become a member of the Warren Family more so then Walter and I ever anticipated. Padon would carry Blanket with a gentle newborn baby hold and direct the portion of the blanket with a tag so it could look in the direction of things worth seeing. Well darn me for not posting about Blanket sooner because I can't remember what month it was that Blanket got his (yes, I said his) voice. I want to say it was November and at least before Christmas. I think Walter and I were in the kitchen when after yelling at Padon (imagine fists clenched down at your sides yelling) to get out of the kitchen we heard Blanket ask a very tearful Padon "What's wrong Padon?" in a cookie monster-esk voice. Walter and I gapped at each other and listened, ears straining to get everything. Padon still crying answered "Daddy yelled at me." To which Blanket replied "Daddy yelled at you?" Padon continued on "Yeah Daddy yelled at me." Blanket concerned asked "Are you ok Padon?" and Padon answered back sorrowful "yeah...". The crazy thing was in this exchange Padon went back in forth in this monologe from crying to not crying to crying. And that's not to say that he wasn't genuinely crying, because he was, but the identy of Blanket was so his own that he could stop for that second to ask the question.

I loved it! I had an invisible friend for longer then I care to mention, and so wont, and I love Blanket! I have very clear memories of my father screaming at me "are you insane?!" when he over heard a similar exchange. Ok so I was older then Padon but it stung and affirmed to me that it was just one more thing about me that my Dad was never going to understand or love. Oh, my Id is showing; putting that away now...

From this initial conversation Padon has allowed Blanket to speak out more and more; enough that two weeks ago I had to pet Blanket and talk to him (in a full conversation) about how I was not going to give him a "bath" in hot water in the washing machine and that I would be sure to make it perfectly warm. Walter and I have also learned that Blanket is a boy blanket and that he is 6 years old. That totally made me want to ask what was so special about being 6 years old but I bit my tongue. I had to point out to Walter that maybe we were talking about Blanket and laughing about his new found personality to friends and strangers a little too much in front of Padon. I really don't want him to think that what he is doing is shameful. Especially not at 3! And this exceptance of Blanket has also spread to imaginary bad guys that fight Padon with guns and whom I have been saved from, by Padon, in the kitchen. Darn those bad guys for trying to kill me in my kitchen!