The Paci Fairy

The paci fairy visited our house on Tuesday! It was time. Her teeth went up in the middle, the pacis should have been replaced a year and a half ago, and she could probably carve her own out of wood herself now anyway. It was time. Instead of conveniently leaving them somewhere, or outrightly taking them, we decided instead to go with messing with her little head. You know, in the grand tradition of Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. So, enter the Paci Fairy:

She leaves a trail of stars, see? And she takes the pacis and gives them to babies who need them. Then she leaves you a special present, for being so nice and giving up your paci. Maddie had been after a "little guitar", and after shopping around and finding all the child-sized guitars wanting - a step up from cardboard and shoelaces - we bit the bullet and bought her the talking, singing obnoxious version instead. I mean, the Paci Fairy got it for her. Then we realized that she should really have something to comfort her at night, to sort of take the place of the paci - hence the little blue seahorse that plays lullabyes when you squeeze it. She was elated. "I'm so zited!"

Of course, when she later realized that these wonderful toys out of nowhere meant no more paci...and she sort of realized she'd been duped. First she started bargaining: "I can have my paci for night night later?" Then she just got sad. Pathetic-sad. We had anticipated a good screamfest or two. Something we could stand up firmly to for her own good. Something they'd hear next door at least. (Thank goodness our neighbors have kids!) Nope. She's mournful and mopey and sad-eyed. Like a friend had moved away or a favorite pet had died. And she kept remembering it over and over, and crying, "I have no more paci!" When I put her to bed the first night, after the books & song, she looked up at me with those lovely blues and begged, "Mommy, can you please go get the paci from the Paci Fairy for me?" Mommy, in her hormonal and emotionally vulnerable state, pretty much lost it. I didn't give in - the pacis were already in the trash, to strengthen my resolve. But OH the tears on both ends. No parent wants to see their child this hopelessly sad, especially at their own hand.

The good news is that she's made it through 2 naps and 2 nights' sleep with relatively minor interruptions. The first night she took about an hour to settle down. The second night a good bit less, and tonight she went right to sleep. Not without a little whimper, "I don't get a paci tonight when I sleep" (that sound you heard was my heart re-breaking). But we're on our way. Thank you, Paci Fairy.

Now...potty training. Phase 2 of Operation Big Girl. Do they have a Fairy for that?