Weekend Wednesday v. 2 (Operation Paci Fairy)

I certainly hope everyone had a great weekend.  We started our weekend knowing that it was going to be a struggle, Hubs has a cold and the PACI FAIRY was coming!  Oh the dreaded Paci Fairy.  We have made a few attempts of trying to take Hannah's paci away, but each time we did something would happen, and I would give up...She came down with the flu the last time, and the only way I could get her to get out of bed when she was sick was if she had that blasted paci...the time before that, she cried and screamed so much that she made herself sick so I gave it to her...I am a wimp, I know, but I really hate to see her so upset, and in my defense, she is only 2ish (she won't be 3 until July so there's that).  I recently saw a picture of Suri Cruise strolling the streets with a Paci, and I KNEW we had to do something to about our Paci issue, or else Hannah would be the next (cuter) Suri Cruise, and would probably go to college with a Paci, because that is the only way she can go to sleep (or so she says...)

Isn't Suri 5?

So I started investigating this Paci Fairy idea, and it sounded much better than just throwing away Paci (yes, as if it is a person, we refer to it as Paci-not The Paci or A Paci, but just Paci) or Cutting Paci...because Hannah, much like me Hubs, is quite stubborn, and would probably either a) go into the trash can and get it (unsanitary), or b) use the broken paci out of spite (unsafe)...Enter Paci Fairy.  This Magical Fairy takes away all of the Pacifiers from the Big Girls and Boys and takes them to babies who need them...and she leaves the Big Girls and boys gifts in exchange as a reward for being so big and brave, and we all live happily ever after-sans paci.  End of story...If only it was that easy...

First challenge: Explain the paci Fairy concept to a 2 year old...we started this about a week Operation Paci Fairy commenced.  Friday morning before I headed to work I asked Hannah who was coming to visit-it went like this:
Me: Who is coming to visit tonight?
Hans: Paci Fairy-she bring me babies...
Me: Well, yes, the Paci Fairy is coming, but you are going to give her your pacis so she can bring them to the babies who need them, because you are a big girl and big girls don't need them, but she is going to bring you a surprise!
Hans: Paci Fairy going to bring me a giraffe! and a Race car!
me: So you want Paci Fairy to bring you a giraffe?
Hans: Yep, I want to ride him...Paci Fairy Sounds fun Mommy!
Me:  Well...I don't know that the Paci Fairy will bring you a giraffe you can ride...but I am sure she will bring you something awesome...

hmmm...A giraffe?  Really?  most kids want a pony, not mine, a giraffe.  I knew she wanted a race car, because she has wanted this Toy Story race car set ever since we bought one for the birthday party we went to a few weeks ago...

Second Challenge: Find Paci Fairy Gifts
When i left work, i headed to the store to find a suitable Paci Fairy Gift.  I made it to the store, however, the battery on my cell phone was dying so I was about to really have to go on this adventure alone, without the input of Hubs...who was at home with Hans...Race car set-Check

Giraffe...hhmmm...does this girl seriously want a giraffe-or does she just want to go back to the zoo to see and feed the giraffe...as I pondered this question I wondered around the store...and found 2 movies I know I she would like to watch (ANYTHING would be better than Mickey's Road Rally AGAIN or Finding Nemo...) so I grabbed Tangled and The Princess and The Frog.  and of course, the Easter Candy was out...so I also got some jelly beans inside of this cute little frog/chameleon holder....but if you know me, simple does not do it when it comes to my baby Big Girl (it really hurts my heart to type that).  So off I went searching for something else...as a gift for when the Big Girl wakes up after a whole night of sleep without Paci...Then I found it...A Tinker Bell Papason chair...so I got that too...and then found a small Tinkerbell bag and a Large Tinkerbell bag, some fairy tissue paper and I made my way home...(after standing in line to check out for literally 45 minutes...sigh)

Third Challenge: Preparing for the arrival of the Paci Fairy

When I got home, I brought everything inside while Hubs took Hans out for a bike ride.  I brought out the smaller Tinkerbell bag and left it on Hannah's dresser.  When Hannah got home, I told her the Paci Fairy stopped by while she was out and left a bag for Hannah to put her paci in.  Hannah was very excited (don't think she understood what was happening despite my efforts before) and got her paci from under her pillow and happily put it in the bag.  I told her we had to hang it on the front door so the Paci Fairy would fly in and take the paci and leave her a surprise...so she ran to the front door, opened it up, and hung it on the doorknob.  We shut the door and waited...

Fourth Challenge: How/When was the Paci Fairy going to get here?
Because Hubs and I were both in the living room with Hans it would be very obvious if one of us were to walk over to the front door, open it up, take Paci exchange it for the movies and candy...so we had to be creative...After about 10 minutes, I asked Hans to go check to see if Paci Fairy had come, so she ran to the door, opened it up, and looked in the bag..."Paci Fairy not come yet"  so she closed the door again...10 minutes later, same thing "No Paci Fairy here Mommy."  It was bath time...so sure enough while Hans was in her bath, the Paci Fairy came and made the switch...


Fifth Challenge: Paci Fairy Surprise!
After Hannah was dressed, Hubs and I told her that the Paci Fairy might have come so we needed to check the bag again...so very excitedly she ran down the hallway to the living room, pulled the door open and saw that the Paci Fairy had indeed made a visit and took Paci and left some gifts!  She was so excited to open the new movies and candy-that we had to watch Tangled (with is a cute movie, BTW, in case you want a change in viewing selection for your child(ren)).  Everything was going well!  Hans was eating her jelly beans we were laughing, she professed her love for Max (the horse)...until about 8:30....(side note-usually Hans is asleep by 8, however, we intentionally kept her awake longer, to try to wear her out so she would resist sleeping sans paci less...)

Watching Tangled while eating our Jelly Beans

Frog thing that had the jelly Beans in it

Sixth Challenge: Realizing Paci is GONE!!!

At about 8:30, she looked up at me and said "I need Paci."  And heeeeere we go.  I reminded her that Paci Fairy took Paci and brought it to babies, and how she was a big girl and doesn't need a paci.  I watched her little face fall as she realized that the only reason we were watching Tangled and eating the Jelly beans was because Paci was gone..."BUT I WANT IT!!!!!"  She kept screaming it over and over "I want it!"  I really tried hard, but I couldn't help it...I laughed right in her face...(World's Worst mom no?)  She was truly devastated and I just laughed at the poor girl right in her face...when I said she couldn't have it she ran to Hubs (who was hiding his face under a blanket so he didn't have to see her face)  and when he told her the same thing...this is the face we got

"I WANT IT I WANT IT I WANT IT!"

Seventh Challenge: Sleeping without Paci
We brushed her teeth and put her in bed.  Surprisingly, she only asked for Paci once.  We reminded her that the Paci Fairy came and took it, but if she went to sleep without it, and slept in her big girl bed all night then when she woke up, the Paci Fairy would leave her a gift for being a big girl.  She whimpered "Okay" and went to sleep.  She only woke up once that night, at 2:30, and cried because she couldn't find Paci...I reminded her where it went, and she went back to sleep...until 6am...

Life without Paci:
Hans still asks for Paci...every night, but she doesn't resist going to sleep without it, though I have not had any luck with her sleeping past 6 am since the Paci Fairy came to visit...When she references the Paci being gone, she talks about the babies.  The other day she said "Hmmm...I take a bath with the babies?"  As if to say if I take a bath with the babies who have Paci, I can get it back-so i have to remind her what actually happened, because, I am afraid with all this talk of babies, people are going to think we are having one...WHICH IS NOT THE CASE...

My Baby is no longer a baby...next we tackle Potty Training...Lord help us all!