Alice's Fishing Pole

When my Grandpa died, we went over to help my Grandma finally clean out the garage. There was a whole bunch of cool stuff there, including a really old fishing pole Joe inherited. Unfortunately, it was not Joe's for long.

Alice discovered the fishing pole, and all of a sudden, she carried it around the house all day declaring it as "moin" (mine. She's started inserting "O" sounds in some of her words). Joe wasn't too attached, so the fishing pole became officially hers. And she carries it around constantly. She has even gotten out her swimming pool floatie, had Mommy blow it up, and she sits in the front room in her "fishing boat" and her fishing pole and watches Mickey Mouse. I first I thought it was a little odd, but cute.

Now, after last night, I just think she's weird. Alice has started sleeping in her Big Girl Room (pictures soon, I promise). It has been really hard for her, and so Joe and I have been taking turns sitting with her until she goes to sleep or until we get sick of her...whichever comes first (she has yet to go to sleep before we get annoyed and leave). Well, last night was my turn, and I just wasn't in the mood. Alice was being very good, reading books quietly, and I thought, she seems fine. Let's see what will happen if I leave. So I turned on some piano music, hoping it would help, and I left.

Alice got up a couple of times and grabbed me, telling me I had to listen to the music with her, and I would go back in her room, put her to bed, and then leave again. She didn't cry, which was a huge improvement over the last three nights. Finally, she stopped trying to come and get me. I could hear her playing in her room, but I thought, whatever, at least she's not coming to get me. And then, all of a sudden, she started to cry.

It sounded like a "hurt" cry, so I went to her room. Alice was sitting on the floor, crying. I put her in bed, and asked her what she wanted. She babbled something that I couldn't understand, so I started holding up books, her stuffed elephant, her blanket. No, no, no. Finally, I saw her fishing pole on her floor.

"Alice, do you want your fishing pole?" Yes, she did. So I tucked her in with her fishing pole. And she went to sleep. Weird.