Actually, it's a security blanket.
My daughter came into our bedroom at 12:30 this morning with a bad stomach and feeling a little clammy. She decided maybe she needed to - with out getting too clinical here - empty the chamber.
But being the little multi-tasker she is, she also thought she might have to toss her cookies. And whenever she feels that way, she asks for the bucket.
Just holding the bucket makes her feel better. It represents a unique kind of okay-ness whether beets are heaved or not. For my daughter, knowing it's there is almost as comforting as having us there reassuring her everything is going to be fine.
When the feeling finally passed, she came into our room and spent the remainder of the night with us, just in case.
While most kids would cling to their teddy bears to make themselves feel better, she had her bucket right where she wanted it - within arms reach at the foot of the bed.
As I think about having to wash our duvet cover at three in the morning, I realize she's not the only one being comforted by it.
