Yes, I used to make sure it matched their clothing

This is a photo of my son, G, at age 2 - 1/2, climbing into his 7 month old sister's crib. Why would he do that, you ask? Well....

...to steal his sister's pink binky, of course! You see that she had to resort to other oral fixations in the absence of her precious binky.

Here is another photo of him at 2, with another illicit 'newborn' binky. At this age, he was only allowed his binky for bedtime / naptime. He informed me that he was "resting" in the rocking chair, so it was okay for him to have it.

And here is my daughter, L, holding her two security objects, her sippy and her binky, lovingly next to her cheeks.

So what is the point of me telling you all this, other than an excuse to post excessive photos of my PRESH-US babies? The point is this - I *LOVE* BINKIES (technically, "pacifiers", but we like "binky" around here. We tried "nummy" early on, because that is what I called mine, but it just never caught on.)

Many people seem to get worked up about toddlers, or even babies, with pacifiers:

"It's terrible for their teeth!" (my kids have straight, beautiful teeth)

"They'll never talk!" (Oh, I wish...my kids speak clear as a bell and NEVER SHUT UP)

"You can't keep them babies forever!" (Watch me.)

"Isn't she a little old for a pacifier?" (Actually, no, she isn't, as she just recently learned to stop uncontrollably pooping in her pants, Elmo is her personal idol, and she still can't make me a margarita.)

I like binkies because:

1. Some kids have blankies. Some kids have teddy bears. My kids latched onto pacifiers, and it gave them a lot of comfort. G went through a phase where he had to have 3 with him at all time, one for his mouth, and one for each hand. And we know when L is sleepy because her eyes glaze over and she rubs her binky.

2. Having a binky means they are still my BABIES, at least in some small way. It's not like I'm going to send them to kindergarten with a binky.

3. Mute button! Good grief, when they are dry, fed, and clean and have been swaddled, shhh-ed, and sung to and are STILL CRYING, what do mothers of binky-less babies DO? It's a tiny, plastic MIRACLE, as far as I'm concerned.

G and I "gave" his to the newborn babies in the hospital when he was about 2 - 1/2. We actually packed them up in a bag and took them up to the maternity floor. I made G hand the nurse at the nurse station the bag, and told her, "This is G. He is giving up binkies today because he is a big boy and would like to donate them to the tiny babies who need them." She says, "I don't think we're really allowed to do that." DUH. I clenched my jaw, stared at her with huge eyes, and covertly whispered, "Trash. Put them in the trash. He's GIVING UP his BINKIES. Play along."

However, I had a small baby at the time, so he kept stealing hers for a good 9 months afterward. I'm glad to report he has kicked the habit for good.

I'm planning on taking L's away around Christmas time, which should forever make her hate the holidays.

A few weeks ago at my mother in law's house, I had L sitting on the counter and was washing her face. She had set her binky aside so I could do this. My mother in law, despiser of binkies, actually came up behind L and TOOK THE BINKY AND HID IT FROM HER. I'm guessing that was her not so subtle message to me that it's time to take it away.

And just for that, mother in law, I may tuck a binky in L's wedding bouquet when she gets married. So there.