My big girl and her personal negotiator

Inspired by Cameron's (who was born the same month as Lauren) ability to give up his pacifier, I decided it was time to bite the bullet and get the depacification over with in this house as well. I told Lauren last night that it was her last night with her paci because she was getting too big.

So, about an hour before bedtime tonight, I pulled her aside and showed her that her pacis were broken. (I had cut the tips off of them.) I told her she was almost three and that was too big for a paci and that they were broken now anyway, so tonight would be her first big-girl night with no paci. Being sharp as a tack like her mother, she asked, "Mommy, did you cut them?" Yes, I admitted, because you're too big for them now, remember?

Here's the conversation between Lauren and me, with Josh piping up ever so helpfully:

Me: If you sleep all night in your bed with no paci, would you like to go to the store tomorrow and pick out a big girl reward?
Lauren: Yes!
Me: What would you like to get?
Josh: Lauren, how 'bout a big treat? (Our word for sweets)
Me: No, she needs to pick something she can keep. What do you think you would like? Maybe a Barbie? (She's been wanting one like her cousins have)
Lauren: Ummmm . . .
Josh: Would you like to buy Josh something?
Lauren: Ummm . . .
Josh: Lauren, do you want to buy Josh an axe? (Remember the party city axe?)
Me: Josh, hush and let her pick something.
Lauren: A doggie!
Me: Oh, good idea, a stuffed doggie. I have an idea, would you like to get a webkinz doggie?
Lauren: Yeah!
Josh: Lauren, tell her you want a real doggie.
Me: Joshua, be quiet. Lauren, would you like to pick out a webkinz doggie and mommy will put it on the computer like Josh's and Ethan's? If you sleep without a paci, you must be big enough for me to show you how to use the computer and visit your webkinz doggie. Would you like that?
Lauren: YES!!!

So, I put her to bed about 15 minutes ago with all of her stuffed animals and no paci. Leave it to Lauren to break the mold and be totally unlike her brothers who cried and wailed and properly lamented the loss of a life-long soothing device. Lauren has not shed one tear and has been in her for the past 15 minutes singing. Yes, singing. After I tucked the boys in, I peeked in her room and told her it was time to be quiet and go to sleep, but when she continued singing, I thought, "Heck, the boys were screaming when I took their pacis away. If singing comforts her, then by all means, sing away, little one." At the moment, I'm hearing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." (Buy me some peanuts and cwackow jacks . . .) A daughter after my own heart.