The End of a Long Chapter...

She has finally come to our home and put an end to over 4 years of really awesome and pretty bad. We've been wanting to invite her over for a visit since we first heard about her but until 2 weeks ago, it seemed she would never be able to.

Who could she possibly be, you ask?

The Paci Fairy.

Did you know that she even existed? We sure didn't. At least not until 1 1/2 years ago when we were told that Bella needed to let go of her pacifier for good. We tried everything from "oops where have they all gone" to snipping the end off and hoping she'd find no use for it. Have you ever heard a kid desperately slurp on a tipless pacifier??

Desperate.

At 3 years old and up, that's what the relationship with a child and her pacifier becomes. More than a handful of times, my husband or I have had to make a mad dash to the store for a stupid pacifier because of the heartbreak and wails from our dear daughter. She would literally have panic attacks and convulsions if bedtime came and her beloved cigarette...I mean...pacifier was not to be found.

So for the last 1 1/2 years, we have waited for her mad paci sucking to stop so we could pop it out of her mouth for the night. Do you know what a pain in the butt that was?? Okay, not that bad really.

We are probably considered "soft" parents because we don't believe in pushing our kids to do something that isn't absolutely necessary or they are too far from ready to do it. Isabella has taught me that lesson because if she isn't ready for change, then it is an uphill and losing battle to attempt it.

I had cut the tip of the pacifier last year and for some reason decided to do it again 2 weeks ago. When she saw her injured love, she started to panic but then I told her that pacifiers are meant for babies and a broken pacifier just gets full of germs. When she asked if those germs get into her mouth and I said yes, the love her life was suddenly the most disgusting thing she'd ever laid eyes on. It was suddenly a long-term relationship gone really wrong.

Sunday night, the Paci Fairy in all her glittery glam showed up. She left a sweet, sparkly note for Isabella, praising her big girl choice to leave the pacifier for her so another baby girl who needs a cig can use it.

The Paci Fairy also left a beautiful wood Melissa & Doug castle for the big girl. Yeah, that Paci Fairy has good taste!

Bella was able to make the change when she was ready and she is darn proud of herself for it.

Now I am happy to report that because Ava never used the pacifier as more than a teething tool, we will not have to invite the Paci Fairy over EVER AGAIN.

However, is there such thing as a Boob Fairy? May need to contact her before too long. For several reasons...

Hey, Kids, Let's Be Tacky Today!

I like to think I'm a good influence on my kids. So last Friday I dashed all hopes of it. We crashed a birthday party at McDonalds. Oh yes we did!

The girls were promised a 1/2 hour at the indoor playground at McDonalds if they behaved that morning as we ran errands (which they loathe). We get there and I see a new mom friend that I met at my friend's Girls Day Out a month or so ago.

Turns out she was there having an impromptu birthday party for her 5 year old since Hurricane Ike was about to release his wrath on Texas and spoil her son's original fishing party.

Because she's super nice, she of course asked us to sit with them. Well, that rolled into snagging a couple of cupcakes, singing happy birthday (Bella met the boy once before) and walking away with two goody bags!

Needless to say, I feel a bit guilty. Perhaps we should've just gone to a corner table to eat and play on our own. But how could we when Bella's BFF showed up to celebrate too? I tried to politely duck out of all the mom's generous offerings, but didn't want to be a pill about it either.

So I guess we'll pay it forward. Somehow. For now, my girls think going to McDonald's is the best idea EVER and want to try every day to see if another kid is having a party.

*sigh*

Hangin In Possum Kingdom

So, if you are from Texas (particularly Northwest), you may know what Possum Kingdom is. If not, then it probably sounds pretty gross. Who wants to hang out with a bunch of possum? They all end up as roadkill anyway.



Or you may think the above even if you are Texan, like me.

Possum Kingdom, I found this summer, is an absolutely gorgeous lake surrounded by cliffs and rolling hillsides. There are possums, but only the sneaky ones who come in the night to dig up our aunt's beautiful lawn. She has one of the spectacular homes on the cliffs. To get to the dock, you are basically walking at a 30 degree angle down the cliff to a limestone rock lake. Quite a workout when you add a kid or two in your arms.




I give the wonderful description to say that NONE OF THAT MATTERS. I still got completely freaked out about the water. Lake water gives me the willies. (Did I mention Willie Nelson has a home on the cliffs too?) No matter, once my big toe dipped into the clear as a lake can be water, my heart started pounding and I swear a piranha or dead body was waiting for me in there.


However, my oldest child couldn't get enough of the lake. She flung herself in from the boat, from the dock, from the jetski. She even begged her dad to let her jump off the 15 foot high deck atop the dock. Eh, no.

Ava hated the boat. The wind. That dang life jacket. So she napped on the boat. The entire time!

But she was quite happy to be on dry land. Like her mama.

I thank you, Possum Kingdom, for showing us your beauty and allowing my Isabella to find her adventurous side. Ava may find it next year. Or she may be more like her mother than we already know.

Bella Moment at the lake's restaurant:

She was completely baffled why anyone would chop off a deer's head and hang it on the wall.

We fielded questions for an entire evening over it. Husband's solution? He told her that the deer was just so beautiful when it was alive that when the deer died, they hung it on the wall to show everyone its beauty. She accepted the answer but still didn't understand why the entire deer couldn't jut out from the wall.

Can we get a distraction over here, please?