binkies & balloons

A long while ago, Josh & I decided the time was coming for the boys to lose their binkies.  We had thought originally we would do it as soon as I was home for the summer.  But their crib climbing abilities had us moving them into their big boy beds (much) earlier than expected, and that pushed the bye-bye binky date further back.

Then this weekend we were out of town (and out of our minds) so we chose today.  

Today the boys are two years & one month old,

and binky-less.

I was putting the boys to bed the other night, thinking of how I was going to do this. How were we going to explain to them that their binkies were all done, all gone, no more???  At first, I thought we would go to a park we never went to before, and throw them away.

Then, it came to me. We would send them up with balloons. The boys LOVE balloons, so I knew they'd be excited, and I knew that even at this young age, they would remember playing with balloons in a field and sending their binkies bye-bye with them.

We let them have their binkies all morning. Then when we handed them the balloons with binkies tied in the strings, Logan asked, "Help, please?" He wanted his binky off the balloons.  I had been telling them for a few days that pretty soon the binkies were going to be bye-bye.  And on Monday I told them that the binkies were going to go bye-bye with balloons.  So he knew what was coming. 

As we let go of the balloons, the boys said, "Bye binkies! Bye balloons!"

And as those beautiful boquets of balloons, with those green binks attached, got smaller & smaller, the boys ran off to play at the park, seemingly unphased.

 That is, until we got in the car. Then, Logan lost it. LOST.IT. He cried, hysterically, the entire.way.home.

Josh & I thought we were going to lose our minds.

What had we done?

Even Jack was wondering what we were thinking, as he attempted to block Logan's screaming from getting in his ears!
  By the time we got home, both boys were fine, and they went down for naps without a hitch.  So other than Logan's initial dismay, it has been smooth sailing, and I am so thankful!