Breaking Bad Habits

I’ve been under a lot of pressure lately to get rid of the pacifiers (binkies) since the girls are almost 2 ½ , they don’t look good in pictures and the girls frequently drop them in the night requesting me to find them which is not a sustainable sleep pattern for me.

We had a party last weekend and I decided to use that time to celebrate a “going away party” for the binkies. I discussed with Emily & Lilly a few days ahead to prepare them for what was coming. At the party we all sang “happy going away to you, happy going away to you, happy going away, little binky, happy going away to you”. Then, since I wasn’t organized enough to purchase balloons that would lift the binkies up and away, I decided the girls could just throw them over the wall in our backyard. Ben and I each held one of the girls as they zinged their little binkies over the wall with a smile.

We went on to have an Easter egg hunt since we were all too sick Easter weekend with the stomach flu to do anything. We had about 10 kids over so it was a lot of fun for the girls. Then I gave each of the kids some different flower seeds in little cups and gave them a little digging tool and set them free in the back yard to plant flowers. They were so excited and so was I thinking about what might pop up in about 4 weeks time. I’ve been doing this planting flowers exercise with the girls for a few weeks now, so I can just imagine the possibility of one day looking out at an English Garden in my own back yard. Won’t that be fun!

The party wound down and the girls were ready for bed. At that point Emily was very upset that I did not have her binky. She said, “Mommy, I need it, I need it” as she cried. I told her binkies were for babies, not big girls like her. She responded with, “I AM A BABY!, I need it!” I felt horrible for her. Can you imagine someone introducing you to cigarettes, and then once you’re addicted, asking you to throw your cigarettes over the wall never to be seen again. I felt awful about not giving in right then and going to get the binky (I went around the fence earlier in the day and scooped them up, not wanting to litter and in case my entire plan failed). I stayed strong and she calmed down after a while and drifted off to sleep.

The next night I went in to check on them before going to bed myself and Lillian was still awake lying in her bed. I heard this little voice squeak out, “mommy?” and I went over close to her to see what she needed and to give her a kiss. She said, “Mommy, I accidentally threw my binky over the wall”. I almost started crying. I explained to her that it was ok and that the binky needed to go back to binkiland in order to help other babies that were just starting out. She said, “I’m a big girl and I don’t need a binky?!” It sounded like a statement and a question at the same time. I brushed her hair back and gave her a kiss; put her ceiling stars light on and said goodnight. Emily woke up at 1 am and refused to leave my side and so we slept in the spare bedroom together. I think I have become the replacement to Emily’s binky, which does not bode well for my restraining order ideas.

I think they are doing well now and binkies are behind us. We've moved on to facination with the toilet. Good stuff!

The things kids say

Ben takes the girls to school and picks them up every day, since it is only a few blocks from his office. I was so happy with this situation and really relieved that I wouldn't be forced to get out of my pajama’s before noon (we all know that I like working in my slippers).


I was excited about the idea until the girls came home one day and their daddy asked them to tell me what they learned that day. He asked, “what does a cow say?” and they replied, “mooooo”, and then he asked, “what does a duck say?” and they replied qwack qwack”, and then he asked, “what does a mommy say?”, and they replied “Stop it! Stop it! with their little fingers pointing in my face, and then he asked, “what does a daddy say?”, and they replied “Good girl, Good girl”, with a smile.

I was no longer thrilled that he was spending 30 min of uninterrupted alone time with them each day, and could only imagine at this point what they would come home saying.

Well, a few of the things they come home talking about are: Big Ole Trucks, Baby Backhoes, Parking Garages and Cranes. Emily likes to say “Arrggg, I have the scurvies” in honor of Gasparilla. Lilly came home the other day and said, “Bless your heart, mommy”. I wonder who taught her that!?

I was rocking Emily in the living room recliner last night since she is not feeling well (double ear infection), and she pointed up to my Salvador Dali painting and said, “is that you, mommy?” I immediately said, “No, that is not mommy!” to which she responded, “YES, that is you mommy!”

And...........Ben strikes again!