Dear Lila, Please return to Sender. Thanks, Your Cousin

My youngest daughter is three. She will be four on October 5th. My oldest gave up her paci at 11 mos and all naps just after her 3rd birthday. My second born gave up pacis around just before she was 2 and all naps around her 3rd birthday. Hootie hasn't had a paci at night or any other time in months and months. But I kept 2 and let her have one at nap time. She has napped longer, but had her paci longer than her sisters.

I noticed her front teeth were starting to shift and she was going to end up looking like a beaver or a mouse if she had her paci for too much longer. While she is napping with her paci, the older two and I watch movies. Well, OK, they watch them while I try to sleep on the couch with them climbing on me. But still, usually I can sleep or doze at least 20 minutes. Just enough to recharge and make it through their bedtime.

So Monday of this week at naptime, I told Hootie that this was her last nap with her paci. I asked if she wanted to mail her pacis to AZ for her baby cousin, and she was very excited about that idea. So Tuesday morning, she drew a picture, took one last suck on her beloved pacis and dropped them in the envelope. We wrote 'LILA' on the outside and stuck it in the mailbox. She put up the flag, and told her pacis to have a nice trip. She skipped back into the house, happy as a clam. 

Nap time rolls around. She gets her blankies and heads to her bed. She lasted 15 minutes before she came out and announced she was done 'sleeping'. 

Today at nap time, I gathered her blankies and she looks and me and says, "I want to stay out there with you." Oh, snap. I guess the glorious paci made it worth missing the movie time. I told her it was too bad- she needed to rest. To which she said, "Well, then, you better find me a paci." "There are no more; you mailed it to Baby Lila." At this point she just growled at me and flopped on her pillow. I turned on her CD player and ran from left the room. 

Five minutes later, Hootie walked out. "I can't nap without my paci. I'll just watch a movie with you guys." 

Her naps are over. My last bebe has moved on. It's time, and after a while I will enjoy the freedom. I will figure out to go to bed earlier. And between now and then I will have to deal with her meltdowns at the dinner table and in the bath because she is in that awkward stage where she is tired but too old to nap without beign up til 11 o'clock.

And maybe the hubs will learn how to handle MY meltdowns at dinner, too.....

I just couldn't pay for 2 years in braces because I just HAD to nap......