Hello, Maslow.....We're going to need an amendment to the hierarchy

Kevin and I love the differences between our boys. Patrick never attached to any item to soothe him at night (or during the day for that matter). He loved his Clancy Bear and slept with him every night (and puked on him several times). But Patrick's love for Clancy is nothing compared to Keith's love of the SILKIES. This 8x8 square of fabric (regular fabric on one side and silky material on the other) is pure love for Keith Fox.

His first silky is actually a hand-me-down that Patrick never used (Kaidie bought it for Patrick before he was born). His second silky came from Devre and Steve last August. By November '07 he was hooked on the silky. To keep things sane we bought two more. So the inventory includes: two blue silkies from the aunties (these stay in the bed), a yellow Tigger silky for the car, and a white bear silky for Grandma's. He also has two friends that he picked out on Target trips somewhere along the way: a pink baby (with a ribbon around her neck that he has stretched enough to loop his finger and drag her through the house) and a bear with bunny ears (obviously named Bunny-Bear). His friends definately play second fiddle to the silkies but it is the culmination of the silkies, the friends and three perfect blankets that really get him in the mood for sleeping.

The rule generally is that he can't take silkies out of the bed, but his friends can come with him. The whole purpose of this rule is making life easier... First of all if he drags his silky out of bed, when he gets back in bed the silky is missing. Second, he should only have the silky for soothing not for playing. It is usually a screaming fit when the silky gets left in the crib.

So here's the thing: at some point over the last week or so Keith's cognition has started working over time. Climbing up the stairs is not a new thing. But he recently started climbing up the stairs again AND he knows how to climb back down. The difference is now he is climbing up and down those stairs with a purpose. Keith Callahan sneaks up to his room and sticks his arm into his crib to snatch a silky out!

The only thing funnier than my 16 month old smirking at me as he sneaks back down stairs with his silky? The day the silkies, the blankets and the friends all get washed. He throws me the attitude all day when I wash his stuff. Standing at the washing machine wailing, desperately making silkies out of anything laying around (Patrick's underwear, rags, a comforter). **He's trying to open the washing machine to rescue his silky in the picture.

We even took pictures with his silky when he turned one! Not because I wanted to but because he wouldn't give it up. He'll give it up someday I am sure but for now he sleeps all night (13 hours) so God bless the SILKIES.