Pacu fairy

(For the purposes of this post, Pacu is pronounced pass-ew, and is our family's nickname for a pacifier)

When Jude turned 2 we decided it was time for him to ditch the pacifier. But around that same time, his life turned upside down with the addition of Lucy. So we somewhat threw that deadline out the window and gave in to his every wailing "I need my pacu" cry. It was annoying, and the addiction was getting old. We knew he needed an intervention, but didn't know how, especially with a pacu-sucking baby and her pacifiers around him all the time. (Is it weird that I totally relate this to a recovering drug addict living with a user? For crying out loud, it's just a pacifier....but still, you see how I thought this would be impossible, right?)

Insert Pacu Fairy here.

A few days ago I was just so fed up that I started making up this story that the Pacu Fairy was going to come that night and take all his pacifiers and give them to some other little boys to enjoy (creepy and gross, right?...or totally brilliant!) I also mentioned that the Pacu Fairy might leave a toy since he was such a good, BIG boy. (Good thing I'd already done some Christmas shopping!)

So then it happened. He fell asleep, conveniently without his pacu that night, and I did it. I TOOK AWAY HIS PACUS!! (Dear God! I hope he never reads this post....!!!) 

And I placed a huge trash truck on the end of his bed, wondering how all of this would go down.

Flash forward to like 3 in the morning. It's pitch black (except for the subtle nightlight in their room) and I hear Jude pitters climbing out of bed and coming into our room!

 "Mommy....TRASH TRUCK!!!!!!" 

I slightly wake up and see him coming around the corner carrying the darn thing into our room (this is no small trash truck)!  

"Who gave it to you, Jude?" I say, half asleep. 

"Momma bought it at the store!" (This kid is sharp, even at the pre-crack of dawn!)

"No...momma didn't buy it...who gave it to you? 

Silence from Jude

"Did the Pacu Fairy come?"

"Oh yeah! Left big, huge trash truck on my bed!" 

We talked for a bit longer and then I convinced him that we had to sleep a 'little' longer before we could open it. He cuddled with me that night and I swear he said "I wuv you momma" a zillion times (Ahhhh, dying just thinking about it).

Fast forward to 7 in the morning, where we have an awake Jude holding the trash truck. Daddy wakes up to see what was the clatter, and finds a note from the Pacu Fairy and reads it aloud.

"What did the Pacu Fairy say, Jude?" Daddy asks

"No more pacus!" Jude says (impressively getting the point of the long note)

And so it was. No more pacus for Jude. Instead, he falls asleep to the soothing comfort of the trash truck....knowing all the while that he is a big boy now!

The End!

(I hope...)

Ps. We're on day 4 and he's asked three times for his pacifier, only one time in full-on tantrum mode in the middle of the night. Other than that, I think he might like the fact that other little boys are enjoying them...