The Found Pacifier

Lately we’ve been putting a selection of books in the back seat pockets of the chairs in our car so the children have something look at while we drive places.   They talk about the books, swap books back and forth and do a lot of accidentally dropping the books on the floor and then not understanding why we can’t get it for them while we’re driving.  

I had planned on putting some new books they’d never seen before in the car the morning of our trip. The day before, I was cleaning out the back pocket while my children were in the car and found something at the bottom of the pouch in front of where my daughter was sitting.   I brought out an old pacifier that had likely been sitting in there for two years.

She knew exactly what it was and was excited about it.   She wanted it.   It was they type her brother used, but it was a pacifier and she had memories of soothing times and happy sleep and she wanted to see this thing.   I wiped it off and handed it to her to see what she discovered.

She put it in her mouth and tried, very hard, to get back into the rhythm of sucking it for a minute or two and then took it out.    She didn’t quite remember how the sucking motion worked anymore.    Her brother had been watching and realized she had his pacifier and said he wanted it next.    I cleaned it off and let him have a turn.   He tried too, this time for a little longer than she did, but ultimately he’s moved on from being able to suck a pacifier like he did when he was younger.

I’ll keep this pacifier to remember the days when they were tiny.    It was interesting to see how they remembered the pacifier too and how they weren’t upset that it didn’t work for them anymore.

The Big Boy Update:  After arriving at our family’s home late last night, my children woke up this morning, excited to play with toys and their cousins.   My son and daughter were doing something with their back packs they’d packed before we left.   My son ran in the room with his backpack on and said, “me and Reese are playing ‘Out of Town.’”

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  My daughter was hot in the car on our long drive north yesterday.   She had asked for the cold air to be on and then followed up, saying, “I need a thousand scoops of air.”

Fitness Update:  I’m on vacation this week but I discovered this morning my brother- and sister-in-law have an elliptical machine and a Bow Flex (remember those?) in their house.   I spent an hour on the elliptical and then walked about four miles in the afternoon to the playground, ice cream and then back home with the children.  I think I still may have overeaten.   There’s nothing like vacation and eating lots of food while hanging out with family.