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Bye-Bye Ba?

Today is a day of great significance in our short history as parents. After many failed attempts to convince our 3 1/2 year old that it was time to part ways with her beloved passie ("ba"-- when she was 10 months, she gave it this name, and it will forever be called "ba"), she told us unprompted that today she was ready. This is a BIG deal. This ba (not the very one, but this kind!) has been with her since she came home from the hospital, and it has been her most treasured comfort since. So this is a VERY big deal!

I'd like to think that it has been due to all of our transition, and not some kind of deficiency in our parenting, that allows an almost 4 year old child to still sleep with a "ba". Our last separation attempt was mistakenly right before daddy's 2 week trip. What lasted for a couple of days melted in a pile of tears and mommy's weakened resolve. She got the "ba", she was happy, I was happy. I decided then that if she wanted to go to college with the thing strapped around her neck, that wouldn't be so bad.

My sister in law told me about 6 months ago that the "Benkie Fairy" that came to visit their house. Yes, a cousin to the Tooth Fairy visited my niece and left behind (money, I believe?) to pick out a snuggle bear replacement. All of our principles about not "deceiving" our children with notions of Santa and the Easter Bunny were thrown out the window with hopes that this might be the effective motivation. (We're fine with dear old Santa, but they know he's just pretend.) Yet alas, the thought of the Benkie Fairy snatching her "ba" in the middle of the night brought only terror, not bliss. So again we waited. But I did go ahead and buy the requested snuggle puppy to have on hand, just in case the Benkie Fairy should happen to make a special trip to Singapore. And today, as Kathryn brought me her one remaining "ba" in shreds, she said "Mommy, maybe I don't need my ba anymore."

I put in an immediate call to the Benkie Fairy to see, if with just a few hours notice, could she possibly arrive tonight? And having just spoken with her, I have it on very authoritative word that she is feverishly in transit as I write. It's 8pm, and Kathryn is too excited to sleep of course. But just as Santa is probably the one night a year where parents have some agreeable leverage towards obedient behavior, I haven't seen her peek her head out the door once. The Benkie Fairy doesn't come until she goes to sleep, of course.

Do you think we'll make it? Do you think that by tomorrow, January 21st in the year 2007, at 4 months shy of 4 years old, our Kathryn will be passie-free? Say a prayer for us!!