Very quick update on Ben

We've had a lot of stomach bugs and other germs in the house for almost a whole month. So, I/we decided that it was time to do away with the suckers/pacifiers once and for all. The first night (when mommy was too tired to care about much) daddy told Ben no suckers and there wasn't a huge fight or trauma. The next evening, Ben found an orange sucker (this whole set had been getting sticky and funky and the plastic/silicone was bad). Ben took it out of the drawer or dishwasher and wanted to put it in his mouth. But he knew better. He said something like "no more suckers mommy". So I told him, "No. No more suckers". I asked him to throw it in the garbage because it was yucky and say "Bye bye sucker I'm a big boy". First, he put it in his mouth and looked at me. So I repeated the instructions and pointed to the garbage (which we were standing right by). He took it out, threw it away and said "big boy". :) So proud. However, at bedtime, when daddy wasn't up to pushing it, mommy was. We reiterated the no suckers and that's been it ever since. We're 4 nights out and I think we've done it HOORAY!
Ben is not adjusting to his school as easily as Lincoln is. However, he is transitioning well and he hasn't cried when I left. Next week both of the boys will have a lot of their friends and some of their teachers from their old school joining them. So, that should make it all seem great.