Jumbled Mumbles (#2)

1) This past Saturday, we started the paci-weaning process with Macie. (She calls it her "maci", rhymes with paci.) She only can have it at nap and bedtime now (as opposed to pretty much any time she wants it when she's home). Because we had never let her take it to school anyway, the transition hasn't been as bad as I thought it might be. She will still ask for it on occasion, but is okay with getting just her lovey instead. The biggest time she misses it is when she gets hurt (either physically or just her feelings!), as her paci was definitely her comfort item.

When she wakes up in the morning and has to give it up, her favorite way to do so is by putting it in my or Dale's pocket. Then she spends a few minutes lamenting, "My maci . Pocket." And then she moves on.

We'll wait a while on the bedtime extraction...

2) We're flying to Missouri for Halloween! While we'll miss our yearly ritual with the Dever clan, the girls (okay, mostly Ivie, since Macie is clueless) are so excited to trick-or-treat with their cousins! And I've ordered the girls' costumes. But we'll keep them a surprise for now... But I'm pleased to say I was able to find something thematic, yet non-princess, that Ivie is actually excited about! SCORE.

3) Dale's home all week this week! And I'm relying so heavily on him it's not even funny. I don't get sappy on here much, but I really don't know how I'd be making it through this difficult time, work-wise, if not for his support. He really is amazing. And I don't give him credit for it as much as I should.

4) Speaking of Dale... In the past week or so, Macie has made the transition to a Daddy's Girl. She can't get enough of her daddy. And it's so. darn. cute. Dale thinks I'm jealous. In fact, I think he wants me to be! Whatever! I'm ECSTATIC. Happy as a clam that she now wants to sit on his lap while he eats his dinner, leaving me to eat mine alone. Ahhhhhhh, serenity.

5) This is Macie's last week in the toddler class. So she'll have to say goodbye to Emma, Kisha, and Brenda, and hello to Stacey and De'Andrea. She's already spent some time with the 2's in the past couple weeks to help with transition, but Monday is the big moving day. The best part of this for Dale and me? No more washing sippy cups every other night. Because, in the 2's, they drink from big-girl cups.

So what that means is that she's going to come home with milk and juice-stained shirts, since she hasn't quite mastered that art yet. Oh well. I'll take that over the sippy-cup-washing ritual any day.

Next up, pump/bottle washing. Coming soon to the Herman house. April, 2011. You can probably sense Dale's excitement all around the world, wherever you are.