Big day yesterday. Conrad is three years old and completely without a nuk now. About 1 1/2 weeks ago he gave up the night time pacifier but still used "Mary's nuk" (his pacifier at daycare, just for napping). I had researched on the internet different suggestions for weaning a toddler off a pacifier and decided the one I would go with was to cut the tip off the pacifier a little at a time until Conrad decided he didn't want it anymore. In the end, we went a totally different route. For the last month or more we had been telling Conrad that he was getting too big for a nuk, that he would be three soon. Shortly after our trip to the Grand Tetons, CW was a little spunky one night and threw the nuk on the floor behind the bed. I picked it up and said it was icky, I needed to rinse it off. While my back was turned to him, I rinsed it but then hacked off about 1/2 inch of it. Then, gave it back to him like nothing happened. He stuck it in, pulled it out to look at it, stuck it in and gave me a very confused look. Pulled it out again and told me something was wrong with it. With a completely innocent face (I hope!) I took the nuk from him and examined it. Then voice dripping with sympathy I explained that a mouse must of chewed it up when Conrad threw the nuk on the floor. I asked if he wanted it back. He did actually accept it back that night, but the next night it dropped on the floor again and I told him he couldn't have it back until I washed it with the dishes, since now we had a mouse in the house. Smart bugger asked for his other nuk. I gave it to him but warned him if he didn't lay down and close his eyes, this nuk may fall on the floor too and if it did, it would be gone until mommy did dishes. Conrad had too much energy apparently to heed my warning and continued playing with his blankets and reading books in bed. Nuk #2 rolled off. Surprisingly, he wasn't too upset that night about his nuks being out of commission. I didn't get around to dishes the next day so when it was bedtime the following night and he asked for his nuk, I just pointed to the pile of dirty dishes and told him they weren't clean yet. Then it was a weekend and we did 2 more nights without nuk, even though I did finally do the dishes.
Monday morning on the way to daycare, he was so darn excited that Mary would have a nuk and a frog because Mary doesn't have mice in her house. It took me a little by surprise, but since I was in the front seat he didn't see my struggle with keeping a straight face. I agreed with him and told him yes, Mary would still have a nuk. Then reminded him that in just a couple weeks though he wouldn't be able to use her nuk since he would be turning three and be too big. So that's how it happened that he continued to use a nuk at daycare for naptime until his birthday.
Fast forward to yesterday. Birthday Day! Conrad and I had french toast for breakfast (daddy had to go to work). Then he got present number 1 - IKEA train sets to add to his basic set. We played trains together until mid morning and then headed to Oxbow Zoo. After the zoo we went out for lunch, then visited Papa Ray while I put away my canning supplies from the night before and picked up a couple eggs needed to bake a cake. Then to Mary's house for napping. I reminded him that he was three, so he would need to give me the nuk when I put him down for nap. He agreed, and then reminded me that when he turned two again he would get it back. Sure, how can I argue that? So into bed he goes, and we traded a birthday gift for his nuk. It was that easy! He napped a solid two hours (and then I woke him up, the kid would sleep 3-4 hours some days if let him!). When he woke up from nap I showed him the cake I had made for him.
It was so sweet to see his reaction to the cake. It's so easy to please a three year old! Thanks mom for finding the train to decorate his cake with.
The biggest challenge was keeping his fingers off the "train pie" as he called it, and getting it home to the prairie for the birthday party. All went well though, and his cousins came over in the evening to play and celebrate.
Fast forward to yesterday. Birthday Day! Conrad and I had french toast for breakfast (daddy had to go to work). Then he got present number 1 - IKEA train sets to add to his basic set. We played trains together until mid morning and then headed to Oxbow Zoo. After the zoo we went out for lunch, then visited Papa Ray while I put away my canning supplies from the night before and picked up a couple eggs needed to bake a cake. Then to Mary's house for napping. I reminded him that he was three, so he would need to give me the nuk when I put him down for nap. He agreed, and then reminded me that when he turned two again he would get it back. Sure, how can I argue that? So into bed he goes, and we traded a birthday gift for his nuk. It was that easy! He napped a solid two hours (and then I woke him up, the kid would sleep 3-4 hours some days if let him!). When he woke up from nap I showed him the cake I had made for him.
