The Crack-ifier and the Skeptic

Neither Allison Clare nor Gillian ever took a pacifier as a comfort object, both of them seeming annoyed by its intrusion into their tiny mouths. However, we kept a couple around and Allison Clare would occasionally play with them as toys when she came across them--usually when we were in the kitchen and she needed distracting, so I would give her the white Tupperware container that held the pacifiers and some other odd plastic baby items.

Then, recently, Allison Clare became very interested in the pacifier as sleep aid. She was playing with one at naptime or bedtime a couple of times, took it to sleep with her, and got attached enough to request it. Since we had escaped the need to wean her from the pacifier as a baby, we were reluctant to let her get too attached to it at this point, and told her no when she started requesting it. She seemed to have forgotten about it until tonight, when we returned from a trip to see Mamaw and Papaw in Cincinnati. Sam was putting her to bed, and the following exchange ensued:

AC: Daddy, get purple pass-fye-in.

Sam: What? What do you want?

AC: Please?

Sam: Okay, I'll be right back.

(Sam goes and returns with a purple teacup.)

AC: No cup. Pass-fye-in, pass-fye-in.

Sam (coming to our room where I'm feeding Gillian): Do you know what pass-fye-in is?

Me: Pacifier. (Discussion ensues, and we resolve not to give in.)

Sam (returning to AC): I looked, but I couldn't find it.

AC (helpfully): Downstairs, in kitchen.

Sam goes downstairs and then returns: The pacifier is all gone.

AC: Right back. White bowl.

Sam: I looked, but it was all gone.

AC: Try again.