Carmen has a new habit. She’s taken to rocking herself to sleep in the recovery recliner (endnote below if you need it) when it’s time to take her afternoon nap. If she senses the rocking slow to a still, she rocks herself again, her eyes still closed in sleep. For a while she slept with the blanket my mom finished while she was here, but she’s found a better lovey for naps in the recliner: a remote control. As she falls asleep, and then sometimes as she sleeps, she waves the remote like a wand toward the television (off, of course). When her arm falls to her side, the remote control remains tightly in her hand.

I thought children were supposed to sleep with blankies, bears, dolls . . . but a remote control? To complicate the issue, Carmen has to sleep with HER remote control. The black remote control (which operates the television) is by her decree mine; and the grey one (for the attached DVD player) is apparently entirely Carmen’s.

I like to watch Carmen rock herself to sleep with a smile on her face. And it seems sweet, that after months of rocking her when she was wee, now she is old enough to rock herself. On the other hand, she had long ago already learned how to fall asleep without any rocking at all. Now it’s as if she’s back to her bad habits. I have an image of her as a four-year-old sleeping in the recliner, and another image of Carmen in college sleeping in the same recliner.

But I haven’t bothered to make her sleep any different. At this point I haven’t the stamina to try to persuade her to sleep any other way. And, anyway, I can’t blame her for sleeping there. It’s a comfy chair. Besides, there’s no harm in it.

Unless she wants to take it to college. I won’t let her. It’s mine!

Endnote:
Recovery recliner, aka, Mommy’s chair, the Ugly Chair (a term of endearment after its vintage orange and brown floral pattern), the Mommy-needs-to-sit-for-a-minute-in-a-quiet-dark-room-and-be-left-alone-so-she-can-rest-her-poor-brain chair. I love the Ugly Chair for its compact, femine proportions, high back, and easy spring rock. C&D like it for its rock, and because they can barely fit two across in it. Best enjoyed while watching the TV Dad brought from San Antonio, preferably with the footrest up and a blanket on your head.