Author's Note: I apologize for not being around for the longest time. To put it simply, on top of being extremely busy with school, I've been sick with a horrible cold, though there's a good chance the upcoming story will give you an idea of how I felt a couple of weeks ago, since it's common for me to parody personal experiences in my stories, with a twist of course. No matter, this story came to my mind right before I got sick, and again last weekend when I was starting to feel better, only time got away from me, but since I have a four day weekend this weekend, I thought, what the heck, might as well put something up, since I'm way overdue for it, so with that, I hope you enjoy!
Rosie's Pacifier
Summary: Rosie tells Tommy of her difficulties with being weaned from her beloved pacifier, while Tommy tells of the time he was temporarily weaned from the bottle, and probably the worst day of his infantilehood.
Disclaimer: I do not own the original Rugrats characters, they're the property of their original creaters. I own any OC's you don't recognize, including Zack, his aunt Celeste, Sherry Berry and Reggie, while Sandy and Rosie and her family are owned by Nairobi-harper, Hazel is owned by HazelNutSwirl, and Peter is owned by TCKing12.
It was the day of the big football game, known as Ultrabowl 50. Everyone was off to big Ultrabowl parties, well, everyone except for the cutest toddler couple in the whole country. Out in the Boston area, poor Rosie Hall was stuck at home with her babysitter Sandy, while her parents were off to an Ultrabowl party at a friends house, and her big sister Mary, got to go spend the afternoon at her friend Krystal's house. The worst part about that whole ordeal was the attitude that Mary had with Rosie before she left.
"Why can't I go with you Mary?" Rosie asked, as Mary was putting on her coat to leave.
"Because you're still a baby." Mary snapped.
This brought tears to Rosie's eyes, as she sniffled them back and glared at her sister angrily.
"I'm not a baby! I'm three-years-old and in preschool now. All the more reason why I should be able to go." Rosie said through her tears.
"All the more reason why you're not going. Now, I have to go. You have fun with your babysitter." Mary said teasingly, as she walked out the door of their apartment and slammed it behind her, piling into Krystal's mom's car, who had come by to pick her up and take her back to their house.
Once Rosie saw the car had driven out of sight where she was watching out the front window, she turned around, and ran into Sandy's stomach, burying her face and crying.
"Now now Rosie, don't cry, I'm sure we can find something fun to do." Sandy suggested.
Rosie looked up into Sandy's face, tears streaking her cheeks.
"What? Mary and my mommy and daddy get to go have all of the fun. It's not fair. Seems ever since I started preschool, Mary has gotten awfully mean, and the worstest part, I have to share a room with her. Sometimes, I wish she'd just go to Krystals for the day, and never come back!" Rosie snapped in anger, stomping her foot.
"Now Rosie, I'm sure you don't mean that. Now, come on, the Ultrabowl game will be starting soon, and Taffy and the Saltwaters will be performing at the halftime show while on their international tour, now won't that be exciting?" Sandy asked.
"No, I think I'm just, gonna go upstairs and enjoy the privacy of my room, while Mary is gone." Rosie said, as she trudged up the stairs.
"Ok, I'll be down here if you need anything." Sandy said, as she headed back into the living room to work on her homework and wait for the big game to start.
No sooner had Rosie gotten upstairs, when she spotted Mary's iPad on her desk. Seeing that changed her mood immediately, as she thought of getting Sandy to help her call Tommy and Peter, but then, she thought about what day it was. Surely it was Ultrabowl Day across the country, there was probably a good chance that Peter was throwing a huge party for his Confederacy kingdom or something, and likewise, Tommy would be off at some Ultrabowl party with his friends, being unavailable to talk, because unless they were attending Peter's party, he wouldn't be available. However, she needed Tommy at a time like this, as he was the only one that could say something to cheer her up, or hopefully, he would, but at least if he wasn't available, she'd have all the more reason to be miserable, or to try harder at cheering herself up.
Once she had her mind made up, she took the iPad back downstairs to Sandy, and tugged on her jeans leg to get her attention.
"What do you want?" Sandy asked, as she saw the iPad in Rosie's hand.
"Can you help me Facetime Peter and Tommy? I really wanna talk to them." Rosie said.
"Oh, I'm not sure if you should be fooling with your sister's iPad while she's not here, but I guess it would be ok. Come on, let's head to the kitchen table, this way, if you two are still talking after the big game starts, you won't be a distraction." Sandy said, as she and Rosie headed into the kitchen, and got the iPad set up on the table.
Sandy turned it on and found Peter in the list of contacts, starting to initiate the Facetime call to his iPhone. Boy were they in for a pleasant surprise when Peter answered on the third ring.
"Rosie! Sandy! What a pleasant surprise!" Peter exclaimed upon answering the call.
"Is Tommy there?" Rosie asked.
"He sure is, but he's finishing lunch right now, and I was about to go put him down for a nap while I catch the big game." Peter replied.
"Really? You're not at a big Ultrabowl party today?" Sandy asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Nope, I got stuck babysitting." Peter replied.
"Is Dil there too?" Sandy asked.
"Nope, Dil, Stu and Didi are all off at an Ultrabowl party being thrown at Drew and Charlotte's house." Peter replied.
"Really! I never thought Didi to be a huge fan of sports, and why didn't you and Tommy go?" Sandy asked.
"Oh yeah, that's right, I doubt if Rosie told you, or remembered, Tommy has been quite sick with a really bad cold, and while he's feeling much better today, Didi didn't want to take any chances of him going out, wanting him to stay home and rest, so she asked me to babysit. And as for her going to the Ultrabowl party, I think she's going to supervise. She told me this morning when she phoned me, asking me to babysit, that the last time her husband and all of the other dads threw an Ultrabowl party, she ditched the party by going shopping with Betty Deville at the mall, only to return home later to find her living room covered in chocolate milk. I think she wanted to go and make sure that her brother-in-law's house didn't end up in a mess." Peter explained.
"You weren't there watching the kids?" Sandy asked.
"Nope, in fact, I had no recollection of this event, though if it happened the year Dick Hern announced the game, which I believe was the year Dallas was playing against Houston, I was still fighting for the Confederacy's independence." Peter explained.
"I seem to remember that game, though the time I recall an incident of food getting everywhere happening when I was somewhat in charge, was during a World Series game, I was watching after Reggie and Rosie's older sister, and Rosie was just a tiny baby at the time. I had given them chocolate pudding to eat, not thinking of the danger that could happen, only to find by the end of the game, somehow, the chocolate pudding had ended up on the ceiling. It was a nightmare to clean up, and my back hurt for a week after that." Sandy explained.
"Is that Rosie?" Tommy was heard, asking in the background.
"Have you finished your lunch?" Peter asked.
"Uh huh." Tommy replied, as he climbed down from his seat at the table.
Peter looked over to see he had finished his bowl of soup, but his Reptar sippy cup was still half full of sparkling apple cider, and he still had some slices of cheese and apple on his plate.
"Tell you what, since you're by yourself for the afternoon, and that cup does have a sippy top on it, I'll let you eat the rest of your cheese and apple slices in your playpen in the living room while you talk to Rosie on my iPhone, while I go watch the game." Peter suggested, as he gathered up Tommy's things from the table, and carried them into the other room.
"Sounds great!" Tommy exclaimed, as he sniffled and let out a tiny cough, and Peter put him into the playpen.
Peter than gave him the iPhone, and went off to the opposite side of the room, to start watching the game.
"Yay! It's kickoff time!" Peter cried out loud in the distance.
Realizing this, Sandy decided she wanted to go watch the game too and get back to doing her homework, so she left Rosie at the kitchen table with Mary's iPad, allowing the toddlers some privacy, while she headed back into the living room to watch the game.
Once the coast was clear, Tommy stared down at the screen of Peter's iPhone, to see Rosie staring back at him, as she stared down at the screen of Mary's iPad, letting out a sigh of disappointment.
"Something wrong Rosie?" Tommy asked.
"Oh nothing. It's just, I never get to go do anything fun anymore, all because Mary says I'm too little." Rosie muttered.
"I'm sorry Rosie, but, at least we've gots each other to keep each other company today." Tommy said.
"So, how are you feeling?" Rosie asked.
"I'm better. My throat isn't soar anymore and my head don't hurt no more, and I'm not as tired, but I've still gots a cough and the sniffles. That's why mommy wouldn't let me go with them to the party and Peter is watching me." Tommy replied.
"Glad you're feeling better, at least, this day can't be any worser than the worstest week of my life as a baby, after my firstest trip to the dentist." Rosie explained.
"Your firstest trip where?" Tommy asked.
"You know, the dentist. It's that person who looks inside your mouth at your teeth." Rosie explained.
"Oh, you mean the tooth fairy. Yeah, my firstest experience going to one of those was no fun neither." Tommy replied.
Rosie let out a sigh.
"Looks like I've got some explaining to do again. You see Tommy, I'm guessing your mommy must have called the dentist the tooth fairy, because that's not the tooth fairy." Rosie said.
"It's not?" Tommy asked.
"No, it's not. If I recall, I started to tell you this story lastest week when I called you on my snow day, but you were so out of it, you probably don't remember." Rosie said, as she started to have a flashback.
Begin Flashback
It was the Friday before the weekend a week before the big game. The weather had gotten really bad in Boston, canceling school, giving everyone a snow day. As usual, Mary got first gives on the TV on a day off from school, disappointing Rosie, so she went off and used her sister's iPad to call Tommy and Peter, which she could do, as she had left it turned on on the desk in their room, making it easier for Rosie to access. Thankful that Peter was the last person they had called within the Facetime app, she tapped on his picture, initiating a call.
"Rosie?" Peter asked upon answering the call on his iPhone.
"Is Tommy with you? I've got a snow day today, that's a day when the weather gets so bad, we can't go to school! It's my firstest snow day ever, and I was really hoping Tommy would be home from preschool." Rosie said.
"Well Rosie, the chances are of Tommy ever having a snow day are slem, as we don't have a lot of winter storms out here in Yucaipa, California, but you are in luck, he is here, though I don't know if he's awake. He's come down with a really bad cold and doesn't feel good right now." Peter explained, just as Stu interrupted him.
"Hey Peter, could you please tighten that bolt on the left?" Stu asked.
Peter turned his gaze to Stu then back to his iPhone.
"Look, Rosie, I'm trying to help Stu with finishing up an important invention, before I need to leave and go pick up Zack from preschool, as I watch him most afternoons, and seeing today's Friday, and his aunt lets him have a playmate over, I maybe picking up someone else, since Tommy is too sick to have anybody over. If Stu and I should finish up before I have to leave, and Tommy is awake and feels up to it, we'll call you back, ok?" Peter said.
"Ok Peter, that's fine." Rosie said with a sigh, as she was really feeling bored, and wanted Tommy right then, but she wasn't going to argue with the king, so she let Peter go, and kept herself entertained by playing with her new dollhouse she had gotten for Christmas, until she heard a ringing come from the iPad.
She ran over and answered it, to find Peter was on it once again.
"Hey Rosie." Peter said.
"Hi, is Tommy around and wanting to talk now?" Rosie asked.
"He's here, but I'm not sure how much talking he's gonna be doing. His throat is very soar, he's barely spoken to me today, but I thought he might like to see your face and hear your voice." Peter replied, handing Tommy the iPhone.
"I'll come check on you in a little while." Peter said, as he patted Tommy on the head, and went back downstairs to finish working with Stu.
Rosie looked at the screen of the iPad, and saw Tommy staring back at her, his face looking quite pail and his nose running.
"Goodness Tommy, you don't look so good. How do you feel?" Rosie asked.
"I don't feel good." Tommy replied, his voice sounding raspy and congested.
"That doesn't sounde good at all!" Rosie exclaimed worriedly.
"I'll be fine, I just, need to go back to bed." Tommy replied, as he carried Peter's iPhone upstairs to his bedroom, where he curled back up in bed.
"What were you doing out of bed anyway?" Rosie asked.
"Had to go Potty." Tommy replied.
"Let me guess, Peter came up to check on you and told you I called, looking for you." Rosie said.
Tommy shook his head, his throat hurting worse, after doing what little talking he did. He reached over to his bedside table, and picked up a sippy cup with Reptar's picture on it, and took a sip.
"What you got there? Water?" Rosie asked.
Tommy shook his head no.
"Apple juice?" Rosie asked.
"The sparkling apple cider stuff. Peter brought it." Tommy answered, after swallowing his drink.
"Boy Tommy, you sound like you could use a good story. One where I do most of the talking and you just listen." Rosie said, as Tommy put down his cup and slumped back on his pillows, pulling his blanket tight around him, as he was starting to feel cold, as he snuggled up with his Reptar doll.
"I'd like that, but why aren't you at school? I stayed home cuz I gotted sick." Tommy replied.
"We had a snow day." Rosie replied.
"A what?" Tommy asked.
"A snow day. That's when school closes cuz it snows so much, that we can't go nowhere." Rosie explained.
"Oh. So, what story did you have in mind?" Tommy asked.
"Well, seeing your face, reminded me of a time when I felt really depressed, not long after my firstest trip to the dentist." Rosie said.
Tommy just laid back on his bed, as he listened to Rosie tell this story, but he was really tired, so not long after she started telling her story, he was sound asleep. Not realizing he had fallen asleep, she got to the end of her story, when she noticed she was seeing a picture of the ceiling on the screen of the iPad, so she cried Tommy's name loudly into the iPad, hoping to get his attention.
This startled him awake, but only awake enough to recognize that something was bugging him, as he opened one eye weirily, and stared down at the screen of the iPhone, only for his throat to really start hurting at that moment. It was so bad, that he worried if he tried to speak, it would only make tears come to his eyes. Not wanting to cry in front of Rosie, he did the unthinkable at that moment, he tossed the iPhone across the room, causing it to land, face down on the carpet, and a dark square of blue carpet appeared before Rosie on the iPad screen. However, at that very moment, Peter came in to check on him.
"Did you just throw my iPhone across the room young man?" Peter asked.
Tommy nodded, though on Rosie's end, it was a brief moment of silence, as she still saw the spot of carpet. It wasn't for long though, as Peter went over, and picked up the phone, a look of displeasure on his face.
"Tommy, I understand you don't feel well, but we don't throw things, do you understand?" Peter scolded.
Tommy nodded again.
"If you do it again, I will be taking the phone away, and I wohn't let you talk with Rosie the next time I'm over." Peter said.
Tommy nodded again.
"Sorry Peter." Tommy whispered.
"Ok, I accept your apology. You get some rest." Peter said, as he took his phone and left the room.
Once he was out in the hall and heading downstairs, he turned his attention back to Rosie, who was a bit confused at this point, wondering where Tommy was.
"Is Tommy ok?" Rosie asked.
"Rosie, Tommy really needs his rest, and I need to leave to get Zack from preschool. I'd feed him some lunch, but his mom hasn't returned from the store yet. Seems she told me she was going to the gym and only doing the tredmill, then running to the grocery store, but that was hours ago. Anyway, tell you what, we'll call later this weekend if I should return and Tommy is feeling better." Peter said.
"Ok, tell Tommy I hope he feels better." Rosie said.
"I will." Peter replied, as they disconnected the Facetime call, and Rosie spent the rest of her snow day, playing with her dollhouse, and eating pizza squares for lunch, and her mom's pecan chicken and roasted vegetables for dinner.
The following day was a Saturday, but with how bad the weather was, they were still stuck indoors. However, Mary needed her iPad to work on her homework, so that meant it was off limits. Yet though, because she had to do her homework, this gave Rosie the TV for the day, where she watched several episodes of Curious George on Netflicks, while playing with Playdough and her blocks, wondering if Tommy was feeling any better. Finally, on Sunday, the snow had been cleared enough for them to go to church, but sometime later that day, after they got home, Rosie couldn't take it anymore, so had Mary help her give Peter's iPhone a call. Peter answered on the second ring.
"Oh, hi Rosie. I'm out with Dil right now, getting him some ice cream, as he was feeling quite lonely." Peter said.
"How's Tommy doing?" Rosie asked.
"He's still not feeling well." Peter replied.
"But he was pretty upset when he couldn't go out with us for some ice cream. He was so upset, he was crying." Dil added.
Peter put a finger up to his lips, hushing Dil.
"Uh, Dil, I think Tommy would prefer it if Rosie didn't know about that." Peter whispered.
"Hey, can we get some ice cream to go?" Dil asked.
"I know what you're thinking, you'd like to take some ice cream home for your brother. I do believe it would soothe his throat, as it feels good on mine when I'm sick, but it's quite warm today. I worry by the time we get it home, it's gonna be all melted, and that won't be any fun. But how about this. We'll see if your parents have any in the freezer when we get back, and you can offer him some." Peter suggested.
Dil let out a sigh of disappointment, but he didn't want Tommy's ice cream to melt, so he went along with this plan, as Peter saw to wrapping up the call with Rosie, and she was left to her own devices to keep her busy the rest of the day, as she got out some paper and crayons, and practiced drawing the shapes they were learning how to make in preschool.
End of Flashback
"I remember Peter taking Dilly out for ice cream, and after they got back and I had my bazillionth nappy that weekend, Dil offered me a bowl of banana wammy, which, while it's not my favoritest, it felt good on my throat, so took it. Everything else you just told me though, I don't remember, but I'm sorry if I fell asleep like that." Tommy said apologetically.
"It's ok Tommy, you didn't feel well. So, since you're feeling better, are you ready to hear the story this time?" Rosie asked.
"Yeah, but first, clear up this tooth fairy dentist thing for me." Tommy said.
"Ok Tommy, you see, the tooth fairy is the little lady who goes around, collecting old baby teeth for money." Rosie explained.
"Oh yeah, I seem to recall at one time when I was little, Susie's brother Edwin explaining that to us, and the following day, Angelica trying to get Chuckie's teeth so she could get some money." Tommy said.
"I guess that didn't go well." Rosie said.
"Well, Chuckie never losted any teeth, but Angelica losted one of her's, and all she got was a dime. I don't think she was too happy, as she was hoping for more money." Tommy replied.
"Wow, glad to know Angelica was unsuccessful. Reggie tried something similar on my friend Hazel, when my sister Mary lost a tooth and got some money from the tooth fairy, and sadly, Hazel got seriously hurted. He pushed her off the monkey bars, causing Hazel to lose one of her only baby teeth that had come in, and to have to get stitches in her face. As for Reggie? He was caught, and no tooth fairy brought him any money, because he was made to give Hazel's baby tooth to her mom, and was stuck in time out the rest of the day." Rosie explained.
"Oh. So wait, there are two tooth fairies?" Tommy asked.
"No Tommy, the other one is actually called a dentist, not a tooth fairy. Member when I had to tell you the difference between a slumber party and a sleepover cuz your mommy gave you the wrong idea? Well, looks like she's done it again. The tooth fairy is the lady who trades people money for their baby teeth, provided they put their own baby teeth under their pillow when they come out, while the dentist is the doctor for teeth, who looks inside your mouth and cleans your teeth a couple of times a year. They're also the ones responsible for making you give up your pacifier when you're no longer a baby baby, and for me, the worstest time in my life." Rosie explained.
"Oh, I think I get it. I've been to one of those, Dil has too, and we both go to the same guy. Dil's firstest time to him was right around Zack's firstest birthday, and like you, he had to give up his binky. But for me? It was worser than that. It was my firstest time seeing a sippy cup, and the worstest day of my life." Tommy explained.
"Sounds like we've both gots stories to tell, as I'd rather Dil tell me of his experience, that is, if he ever wants to. Who should go firstest?" Rosie asked.
"How about this, you start, and if your story makes me think of something that happened when it happened to me, I'll explain my part. We'll take turns." Tommy suggested.
"Ok, that works." Rosie said, before she cleared her throat and began her story.
Rosie POV
I was barely a big baby when it happened. It was also before I gotted pink hairs, as this happened before the accident. Mommy got me and my sister Mary into the car, and took me for my firstest dentist appointment. When we gotted there, we sat for a few minutes in this room with lots of chairs, and a basket of toys. Mary found this little purple ball that squeaked, and got me to play with her for a few minutes, before we went in for my appointment. However, the play time seemed to go by quickly, because before we knew it, a lady was calling my name.
"Rosie Hall?" The lady said from a doorway that led into a hall.
"We're coming." My mommy replied, as she scooped me up in one arm, taking my sister's hand, and we followed the lady down the hall into a small room, where a chair sat.
I was placed in the chair, and a nice looking lady with black hair and a pleasant smile, walked into the room.
"Good morning Rosie, my name's doctor Homer, and I'm gonna be looking to see what a lovely smile you have." Said the lady, as I looked up at her and smiled.
However, just smiling wasn't good enough for her.
"Now, do you think you can open up for me? So I can take a tiny peak inside?" Doctor Homer asked.
I was confused. Why would she want to look inside my mouth? She said she wanted to see my smile, so I smiled again, but didn't open my mouth.
"That's a nice smile, but how about we open your mouth this time." Doctor Homer prompted.
She looked nice, but something just, didn't seem right. She didn't have any food with her, why would she want to look inside my mouth? Feeling nervous, I looked away, covering my mouth with my hands.
"Come on Rosie, the dentist isn't going to hurt you, she just wants to see your teeth that have started coming in." My sister said.
I shook my head no, uninterested in showing her.
"How are we going to get her to open up?" Doctor Homer asked.
My sister then turned to my mommy with a suggestion.
"I've got an idea, why don't we do what you and daddy did when I first came to the dentist at around age three, and was too nervous to open up. We could play the tippy cannoo and tickle me, uh, the tickle game." My sister suggested.
"Huh?" Doctor Homer asked, confused.
"Oh, you don't remember that game? Well, let me remind you. Whenever somebody says tippy cannoo and tickle me too…" My mommy started to explain, just as my sister ran over to her, and started tickling my mommy's tummy, making her laugh.
"So it's, tippy cannoo and tickle me too?" Doctor Homer asked, as my mommy and sister ran over, and started tickling her, making her laugh.
I found this so much fun, that I just had to join in.
"Tickle me too! Tickle me too!" I cried, even though I knew my mommy and the dentist couldn't understand me, my sister could, and you bet she came over, and started tickling me, making me laugh.
I laughed harder than I could ever remember laughing in my entire life at this point, when Doctor Homer put on some gloves, and came over to see my mouth was wide open from laughing, so she took a little mirror, and looked at what few teeth I had coming in.
"Wow! You've got some lovely teeth coming in. And see these bumps?" Doctor Homer asked, as she felt the inside of my mouth, in a few places that felt tender, making me want to start crying cuz it hurted.
"Uh huh?" My mommy replied.
"These bumps indicate that she has some more teeth on their way, so if I were you, I'd start brushing the two top teeth that have come in, and the one on the bottom, and be aware that she might suffer from some pain as teeth start coming in. Start giving her floride and Tylonol daily, and try to brush her teeth, at least once a day." Doctor Homer explained.
"Thank you mam." My mommy said, as she scooped me up out of the dental chair, and relieved that it was all over, I decided it was time for a reward.
I reached into my diapie, and pulled out my trusty purple pacifier, and put it into my mouth.
"Oh, does she still suck on pacifiers?" Doctor Homer asked.
"Yes, she does." My mommy replied.
"Well, now that she has teeth, it's not a good idea for her to be sucking on those anymore." Doctor Homer explained.
"What about bottles?" My mommy asked.
"You can begin weaning, but she's only a year old based on these records here, am I right?" Doctor Homer asked.
"Yes." My mommy replied.
"I wouldn't worry with bottles, only worry about it if she still wants one come age three or four, though my cousin out in California thinks differently." Doctor Homer said.
"Oh, you have a cousin who's also a dentist?" My mommy asked.
"Yep, like me, we share the same last name, as he's on my dad's side of the family, and he believes bottle weaning is the key to healthy, straight teeth. He also refuses to wear gloves when examining patients, which disgusts me greatly, one reason why I always make sure to use protection, as it's the right thing to do. But enough about my cousin. Here's a balloon and Rosie's first toothbrush, and we'll see you in six months for another checkup." Said Doctor Homer with a smile, as we lefted her office.
At least mommy didn't take my pacifier while we were in front of her, so I was safe for now, but I was starting to get a bad feeling about this, as I had been sucking on this old thing ever since I was a little baby. Once we got into the car, my mommy made a comment as we left to go home.
"If we ever move to California Mary, remind me to not take you two to see the Doctor Homer that works in tentistry out there. That man sounds like a creep! Making babies get weaned from the bottle at barely a year old? Not wearing gloves to examine his patients? Surprised the guy is still in business. But seriously, people out in California are too busy with those glamourous movie stars out there, they don't have time to care about anything else." My mommy commented, as we drove towards home.
End of Rosie POV
"Wait a minute, my dentist's name is Doctor Homer, me and Dilly both go to him, and he fits your dentist's description perfectly." Tommy said, interrupting Rosie's story.
"Ok Tommy, I take it you're gonna tell me of your firstest time going to the dentist? How creepy was he anyway?" Rosie asked.
Tommy POV
Well, I was in one of those chairs too. Mommy and daddy both went with me, as this was way before Dilly was born, right after my firstest birthday. The guy, who had a really creepy voice and a creepy smile, kept prompting me to open my mouth, but I wasn't about to open up for some strange guy I didn't know before, plus, like you, I wasn't being fed or anything, so why would he want me to open up. But we didn't play no tickling games to get me to open. They tried to get me to open up for a doll, for a stuffed bunny, and a truck, but I'll admit, by that time in my life, I didn't put toys in my mouth anymore, so didn't budge.
Then, he tried to offer me a lollipop, but it didn't look very appetizing at the moment, so still didn't budge. Then, if his creepy smile wasn't enough, he did something I couldn't believe. He transformed into Reptar, but only his head. I gasp, and sadly, losted the battle at this point, as there he was, back to his creepy human self, putting his fingers in my mouth. After it was all over, I knew the only thing that would cheer me up was a bottle, so I reached into the diapie bag and pulled one out, only to drop it on the floor, This gotted the guy's tentions, and he toldid us that I had to stop drinking from bottles. My mommy didn't like the sound of that, so he showed two pictures of two faces I didn't recognize. One of them had a really nice smile, while the other one, looked even creepier than that man. He then looked inside my daddy's mouth, and we lefted after that. I let the thought go the rest of the day, I mean, that guy wasn't my mommy or daddy, no one was gonna make me stop drinking from my bottle except me, but I learndid the nextest day, I was very wrong.
End of Tommy POV
"So, you were weaned when you were barely a big baby?" Rosie asked.
"Well, kind of." Tommy replied.
"How so?" Rosie asked.
"Well, how did your binky banishment go?" Tommy asked.
"Ok, I'll continue with my story." Rosie replied.
Rosie POV
My mommy talked it over with my daddy, as they were giving me a bath that night, and while she couldn't find my pacifier anywhere, because I had hidden it in the pouch of my stuffed kangaroo that I kept in the corner of my crib, better known as its secret hiding place, my mommy told my daddy that the next time she found me sucking on it, she'd be taking it away.
All I had to do at this point, was keep my pacifier hidden from my mommy, and I wouldn't ever have to lose it, as sucking on it helped me through some tough times. It was especially helpful when Reggie was around, tormenting me, my sister, and my friends. Sometimes, I needed to suck on it to get me in a calm state of mind, before facing that bully, and that's, where I went wrong.
The following day, Reggie came to my house, when my big sister went off to school. He came up to me, and found me in the living room, playing with toys. While many people will use sunglasses to hide, at this stage in my life, I'd put my pacifier into my mouth, to show Reggie I wasn't up for any of his bullying.
"Oh, little baby don't wanna play today?" Reggie asked me teasingly.
I shook my head. That's when my mommy came into the room, to see if Reggie wanted a snack. She happened to glance over in my direction, noticing I had the pacifier in my mouth.
"Sorry sweetie, but Doctor Homer says you're too big for pacifiers now. Come on sweetie." My mommy said, as she removed the pacifier from my mouth, causing me to start whailing at the top of my lungs.
She scooped me up, and carried me into the kitchen, where she set me down in my highchair, and gave me a carrot to chew on.
"Try chewing on this." My mommy suggested, as I picked up the carrot, and examined it.
Uninterested in the carrot, I threw it on the floor. If that wasn't enough torment, Reggie only made the situation worse, by laughing at me when he saw my carrot on the floor. I looked away quickly, to see my mommy was throwing my pacifier in the trash. Tears welled up in the corners of my eyes, but uninterested in having to hear Reggie laugh at me again, I bit my lip, trying to hold them back.
It then hit me, that once I was released from my highchair, when nobody was looking, I'd retrieve my pacifier from the trash, and all would be ok. Little did I know this wouldn't work. While Reggie had his snack, and I sat there with nothing, because I threw the carrot on to the floor, mommy was getting the garbage together to be taken out to be eaten by Hubert, the giant garbage monster.
End of Rosie POV
While Shannon was taking the trash out, she failed to notice a whole in the bottom of the trash bag, which Rosie's pacifier had managed to fall through on the ground. She put her garbage at the curb to be picked up by the garbage truck, while a chipmunk came along, and picked up the pacifier off of the ground, carrying it off, thinking it was some type of food. It dropped the pacifier, which was then snatched up by a raven, who carried it off, only to lose it in its tallons, where it landed on the bed of a moving truck. As the truck continued to travel down the road, the pacifier fell off on to a sidewalk, near where some kids were riding their bikes.
One of the bikes rolled by, kicking the pacifier into the air, where it landed in a tree, hitting each branch as it fell towards the ground, only to land in a bird's nest. It landed on a baby bird's head, who cried out in pain, as the pacifier bounced off of it, landing in a grassy clearing, where several kids were playing soccer. The ball came along at full force, kicking the pacifier once again into the air, where it landed on one of those big toy playground structures. A young boy in kindergarten picked up the pacifier as it landed at his feet.
"Yuck! Baby toys!" The boy cried, as it tossed it across the playground of the park, where it landed in a deserted grassy clearing, waiting for its next move.
Rosie POV
A little while later, mommy gotted me out of my highchair, just as the doorbell rang. While she went to answer the door, I peaked inside the trash can, only to find it was empty. Sighing with disappointment, I crawled off to the living room in misery and despair, as my mommy came in, carrying Hazel.
"Look who came to visit you Rosie. Now you two play nice, we'll be going to the park shortly." My mommy said with a smile, as Hazel crawled over to me.
"Morning Rosie, what's wrong?" Hazel asked.
"My pacifier's gone. I went to my firstest dentist appointment yesterday, and she toldid my mommy that I can't have them no more." I explained.
"What are you gonna do?" Hazel asked.
"Well, I tried hiding it, but this morning, Reggie came over, and I got caught. Mommy took it away and threw it away, and she gave me a carrot to chew on, but it's just, not the same. I threw it on the floor, and tried to get my pacifier back, but it's probably long gone in Hubert's belly now, cuz mommy took the trash out." I replied.
"I'm sorry Rosie, I wish I could help you." Hazel said, as she pulled a blue pacifier out of her diapie, and started sucking on it.
It was then, that I got my brilliant idea, but before I could put any sort of plan into action, mommy came back in, carrying my jacket, which meant it was time for us to go to the park. Luckily, Hazel continued to suck on her pacifier all the way there, thus, allowing me to put my plan into action when we arrived.
End of Rosie POV
"Wow! I had a similar experience after I returned from the dentist that first time as well." Tommy said.
"I take it you want your turn now?" Rosie asked.
"Uh huh." Tommy replied.
"So what happened?" Rosie asked.
Tommy POV
My mommy and daddy discussed taking my bottle away further that night as they were tucking me into bed, and I was having, what I thought my be my last bottle forever, thinking back on it now. However, I enjoyed it like there was no tomorrow, and drifted off to sleep, just as happy as I could be. I mean really, were my parents really that serious about taking it away? They'd never want me to be unhappy. Boy was I wrong the next day though. Mommy put me into my highchair, and instead of giving me my bottle, she gave me this blue cup with a green sippy top on it, with a happy face staring at me.
"See Tommy? You drink out of here? This little spout is where the milk comes from!" My mommy said playfully, as she pointed to the spout on the sippy cup.
I wasn't buying it, especially when I saw one of my bottles on one of the higher kitchen shelves. I pointed to it and cooed, hoping my mommy would get the hint, but she refused to give in.
"Oh try your cup sweetie pie, you have to get use to it." My mommy said.
She may think I needed to get use to it, but I didn't think so. I did the only thing I could think of at that moment. I turned the cup upside down, making the milk drip out everywhere. After this, mommy put me down on the kitchen floor and gave me some pots and pans to play with, while she got started washing off all of my bottles, however, I knew I would drink bottles throughout the day in the living room while playing, surely I stashed one away somewhere. Luckily, the hellophone rang, getting mommy's attentions, so I used this opportunity to escape and go looking for it.
I looked everywhere in the living room, and nearly gave up, until I found one stuck beneath the sofa. I couldn't reach it very well, so used one of my toys to get it out, but before I could grab it, it rolled to my mommy's feet. She picked it up and put it with the other ones, while I continued to rummage through a basket of toys. I thought I had found one, but was disappointed to learn it was only a pacifier, which I had long outgrown, so tossed it aside in disappointment, just as Phil and Lil arrived to play.
End of Tommy POV
"Wow! That must have been rough!" Rosie said.
"Yeah, it was. By the time they showed up, I was feeling really thirsty too. And it didn't help that they were sucking on their bottles, it only made it worser." Tommy replied.
"So what did you do?" Rosie asked.
"Well, you were saying that Hazel was sucking on a binky when you guys went to the park, what happened after that?" Tommy asked.
Rosie POV
We got to the park, and once mommy set us down on a picnic blanket in the grass, and Reggie went off to play on the big toy, I turned to Hazel.
"Hey, Hazel, this might be a lot to ask, but, do you think I could please borrow your pacifier for a while? I'll give it back." I said.
Hazel removed the pacifier from her mouth and responded.
"I really don't think that's such a good idea." Hazel replied.
"But, but, you're my bestest friend. Please?" I pleaded.
"No." Hazel replied.
I knew this was going to be harder than I thought. Looking around, I spotted a mud puddle and some worms. Knowing how much Hazel likes this type of stuff, I was about to be disgusted, but if it meant I'd have a new pacifier to suck on, I'd do it, just for her.
"You wait here, I'll be back." I said, as I crawled off to the mud puddle with my bucket I always brought to the park for sandbox play, scooped some up into my bucket, along with a few wormies, then returned to our blanket with the bucket.
I pulled out one of the worms and dangled it in Hazel's face.
"Oooh! Wormie!" Hazel cried.
"Wanna trade?" I asked.
Hazel let out a disappointed sigh.
"You're not gonna give up on this, are you?" Hazel asked me.
I shook my head.
"Oh I just don't know." Hazel said, taking the worm and slerping it up like it was a basketti noodle.
End of Rosie POV
"It looks like Hazel wasn't going to give in." Tommy said.
"Well, she did, but what happened with you, Phil, Lil, and Chuckie?" Rosie asked.
"Uh, Chuckie didn't come to play that day. Had he been there, I wouldn't have had to get as drastic with Phil and Lil as I did." Tommy explained.
"What do you mean?" Rosie asked.
Tommy POV
I crawled over to Phil and Lil, who had been put down into the playpen at this point, feeling thirstier than ever.
"Phil, Lil, I need a drink." I said.
"Well where's your bottle?" Lil asked.
"When I woke up this morning it was gone." I replied.
"Did you do anything bad?" Lil asked.
"I don't think so. They took me to this guy who put his fingers in my mouth." I replied.
"Did you bite them?" Phil asked.
"Nope." I said.
I then got a clever idea. Similar to yours, but because our mommies were sitting across the room, I couldn't exactly sneak outside and get them any mud and worms. So I had to make do with what I had on hand.
"Just a little sip?" I asked.
"Uh uh." Phil and Lil replied.
"I'll give you something." I said.
"What?" Phil and Lil asked.
"My stacking cups." I said, holdinhg up the collection of toy stacking cups.
"You're missing some of them." Phil commented.
"My snowman book?" I said, holding up one of those board books with a snowman on the cover.
"I read it." Lil replied.
"My ride on tractor?" I said, riding on it to demonstrate how it worked, and how much fun it was.
"No, I think we're spose to be getting one for our birthdays." Lil said.
"Oh." I said disappointingly.
Then, I did the unspeakable.
"Hey, look over there, it's a huge green monster with read eyes." I said, pointing off in the opposite direction.
"Where?" Phil and Lil cried in panic, as they dropped their bottles.
I quickly picked one up and started drinking it, just as my mommy caught me. She took it from me and put me outside of the playpen.
"I'm sorry sweetie, but Doctor Homer says you're too big for bottles now." My mommy said, as I just stared into the playpen, feeling really sad.
End of Tommy POV
Rosie's eyes widened at this.
"I can't believe you did that! You're lucky Chuckie wasn't there." Rosie said.
"Well, Phil and Lil didn't speak to me the rest of the day after that." Tommy replied.
"Hmmm, I wonder why." Rosie said sarcastically.
"Not to worry, they had forgotted all about it by the time they came to play again." Tommy said.
"That's good, but I must ask you, had Chuckie been there, do you think you would have pulled that?" Rosie asked.
"Of course not, cuz, I would have ascared Chuckie with that monster trick, and we probably wouldn't be bestest friends no more." Tommy replied.
"I'm actually surprised Phil and Lil forgave you after that." Rosie said.
"Well, what happened with you and Hazel?" Tommy asked.
"Well, I certainly didn't pull a dirty trick on her like that." Rosie replied.
Rosie POV
I used the only other sure method of getting Hazel's attention when she took the wormie, but wouldn't give up the pacifier. I gave her, the sad puppy dog face.
"No, not the puppy dog face. All right, here." Hazel said, as she gave me the pacifier.
I put it into my mouth, only to take it out immediately, as it tasted like Hazel's lastest meal, which wouldn't have been so bad, except she had pickles at her last meal, and while I've learned to like them after starting preschool, back when I was a baby, I didn't like them at all! Please know Tommy I'm talking about dill pickles, not your brother. Besides, I didn't know you yet at this time, so as far as I knew, there was only one kind of dill pickles in the world.
"Yuck!" I cried, tossing the pacifier on the ground, giving Hazel a dirty look.
"What?" Hazel asked.
"You ate pickles at your last meal? Yuck! That tasted awful! You can have your dumb old pacifier back." I said, just as Reggie came up behind me, overhearing our conversation, and Hazel quickly shoved her pacifier back into her mouth.
"Good for you Rosie, I wouldn't want the little rose bud to stay a baby forever." Reggie cackled.
I turned around and stared at him in disbelief.
"What are you talking about?" I asked.
"Don't you know? If you suck on a pacifier, you stay a little tiny baby forever." Reggie replied.
"No you don't." I said.
"Oh yeah you do. Ever heard of Brook Green?" Reggie asked.
I shook my head.
"Well, they say on the TV, that she's actually eight-years-old, but she still looks like a tiny baby. And while the TV claims she has some unnamed disease, I happen to know the real reason why she's still a baby. It's because she wouldn't stop sucking on her pacifier. Yep, she kept sucking and sucking and sucking, until it came time for her second birthday, when she still looked like a tiny baby, and would remain that way, for the rest of her life." Reggie explained.
"Yeah right, you're making that up." I said.
"Fine, but if in another twenty years, your sister is in college and using you for a science experiment to make babies rule the earth, don't come crawling to me." Reggie scoffed, as he ran off to play elsewhere on the playground.
"I don't care what he says. I'm gonna find me a new pacifier, and show him, that sucking on those, don't make you a baby forever." I said.
Hazel just nodded, as we went off to play in the park. We were playing hide and go peak, when I was it, looking for Hazel, when I came across this grassy field. I noticed something odd in the grass though, so went over to see what it was. I couldn't believe what it was!
End of Rosie POV
"What was it?" Tommy asked.
"My old pacifier! It was in the grass! And you bet I picked it up and placed it into my mouth, happy to have it back." Rosie replied.
"So, did you get to keep it forever?" Tommy asked.
Rosie POV
"Oh look, it's the little baby Rosie!" Reggie cackled, as I turned towards him, quickly removing the pacifier and placing it into my diaper for safe keeping.
"Stop it, just stop it. I founded my old pacifier, and you'll see, I won't stay a baby forever." I said.
"Ha ha ha, we'll just see about that." Reggie cackled, as he ran off to play.
I then found Hazel, who was hiding behind a bush and eating the bucket of mud I had gathered for her earlier, before mommy found us, and took us back home. After we gotted home, Reggie turned on the TV, while mommy laid out pillows and blankets for me and Hazel to take our nap on in the living room, but before I fell asleep, I caught a glimpse of what Reggie was watching.
"The story of Brook Green." A female narrator said on the TV.
"Brook Green may look like a baby, but she is really eight-years-old." A male narrator said, as I saw pictures of this baby on the screen.
I gasp at this image.
"Wow Reggie, you weren't making it up. There really is an eight-year-old baby." I said.
"Would I ever lie to you? Now take your nap before you woosy babies get in trouble." Reggie snapped, as he turned his attention back to the TV, and I drifted off to sleep.
I then had an interesting dream, where just as Reggie predicted, I was a tiny baby, and my sister Mary was all growed up, wearing one of those white lab coats and doing experiments.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm now going to perform an experiment on my baby sister, who's in actuality, fifteen-years-old, but still the size, of a tiny baby. It's a mystery why she, like Brook Green, remains so small, at such an advanced age." My sister said, as she started to pour some red liquid all over me.
I drowned in the liquid, as Reggie's face appeared.
"Babies who don't stop sucking on pacifiers, never grow up!" Reggie cackled evily, as his head floated away, and I fell into a grocery cart.
I looked around, hoping to find a pacifier.
"Pacifier? Pacifier?" I called.
"I'm down here." A small voice called, as I looked down at the floor, to see something the size of a crumb.
"I can barely see you." I said, jumping out of the cart, nearly stepping on the speck.
I bent down and picked up what appeared to be a pacifier, but it was so small, that I'd nearly swallow it if I put it in my mouth, so tossed it away.
"Sorry, but I only wish to suck on you, not eat you." I said, tossing the pacifier away.
Disappointed, I roamed the isles of the grocery store, looking for something, as my mouth was starting to hurt.
"Give her plenty of Floride and Tylonol, as her mouth is likely to hurt." Doctor Homer's voice said over the store's loud speaker.
I gasp, as I had never heard such an announcement in a store like that before. Then, I got the feeling that I was being followed. Curious, I turned around, and standing before me, was a giant carrot.
"Are you my new pacifier?" I asked.
"No Rosie, it's time to chew on me now." The giant carrot replied.
"Uh, I don't think so." I said.
"Come on, give me a good chew." The carrot said.
I shook my head no.
"Please? I'm a vegetable, it's my job to feed you. And I bet I'll feel really good on your teeth and gums." The carrot said.
I shook my head again, as I pointed to that speck of pacifier, who was off in the distance, trying to make his way out of the store, without being stepped on.
"Sorry, but that pacifier can't help you." Said the giant carrot, just as a giant pacifier came down from the ceiling, creating an earthquake as it hit the floor.
The carrot and I turned to see the giant pacifier, twice my size, before us.
"Rosie Rosie Rosie, pay no attention to that dopy carrot, or even to Reggie, I am here to save the day." The giant pacifier said.
"But is it true? If you suck on a pacifier, do you stay a baby forever? I mean, I saw it on TV." I replied in panic.
"Oh no no no no, you don't have to worry, if you suck on me, you'll grow up just fine." The giant pacifier replied.
"Come on, pacifiers are for baby babies." I said.
"Nuh uh, I'm a big baby's pacifier, you're just the right size for me." The giant pacifier said, as I climbed up, and started sucking on the giant nipple.
"Rosie?" The pacifier asked me repeatedly, as the voice turned into Hazel's voice, and she was shaking me awake.
"Rosie! Rosie! Wake up!" Hazel cried.
I opened my eyes to stare at her.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"I waked up before you, and saw you were tossing and turning. Is everything ok?" Hazel asked.
"No Hazel, I had a dream, where this giant carrot came along, only for a giant pacifier to stand up to it and give me my freedom back, but just the same, it was only a dream." I said with a sigh.
"Don't worry Rosie, you'll get use to not sucking on a pacifier no more." Hazel said.
"I hope you're right, cuz after seeing that eight-year-old baby on TV, proving that Reggie wasn't making up stories, I don't wish to stay a baby forever." I said, as I sat up, yawned and stretched.
Several days passed, as I tried to find something to cheer myself up. It wasn't until another week later, and I knew this as one of those things called weekends, where my sister is home for two days from school had come and gone, when it happened. I went to my very first play group, which is one of these things like preschool is now, only you play with other babies, and they have toys both like the ones I had at home and the ones in the park. My mouth was hurting, giving me the tendancy to start biting on my pacifier rather than sucking on it. This caused me to have to throw it away, because when I got to play group, I had bitten down so hard on the sucking part, that I put a whole in it.
Disappointed, I crawled around, looking for something to satisfy me, when I noticed a small little boy with short brown messy hair on his head, chewing on a green ring. Curious, I approached him.
"Hey, my name's Rosie. What you got there kid?" I asked, pointing at the ring that was sticking out of his mouth.
"First of all, the name's Jason, and, I've got here, a teasing ring." Jason replied.
"This kid I know named Reggie, is always teasing me, and he does it with words, not a ring." I said.
"No, not that kind of teasing, I mean the kind you do with your teeth. Chewing on this ring, helps teeth to come in, and helps soothe any pain from the discomfort that new teeth cause." Jason explained, taking the green teasing ring out of his mouth, showing me where he had made some teeth marks on it.
"Oh!" I exclaimed.
"Can I try it?" I asked.
"Nope, sorry, you'll have to get your own, but I believe they might have some in that toy box over there." Jason said, pointing to a dark purple box across the playroom.
I toddled over to it, and rummaged through the box, until I found a teasing ring that was read, and in the shape of a heart. I looked it over carefully, to notice that there were no teeth marks on it, so stuck it in my mouth and gave it a try. After chewing on it for a few minutes, I found that I liked it. The pain I was experiencing from new teeth coming in started to disappear, and I felt a sense of comfort.
End of Rosie POV
"So what happened after that?" Tommy asked.
"Well, the people in charge at play group let me take the teasing ring home, and I never looked back. From that day forward, I was weaned from pacifiers, never to suck on them again, only chewing on my heart shaped teasing ring until I turndid two, and got all of my teeth in. By then, I gave it up, as well as my bottle, switching to a sippy cup full-time, until I started preschool at the beginning of the school year, when I said goodbye to sippy cups, starting to drink out of regular cups." Rosie explained.
"Oh, ok." Tommy said.
"So, now that I told you my story, mind telling me the rest of yours? Angelica didn't by chance, show up to torment you, did she?" Rosie asked.
"Nah, she was at dayscare that day, but the rest of that day was just as miserable, had Angelica been there, I probably wouldn't have lived through it." Tommy said.
"So what happened?" Rosie asked.
"Well, after Phil and Lil went home, mommy put me down for a nap, where like you, I had a dream, only in my dream, this giant sippy cup that looked just like the one I had at breakfast, only now it was talking, and had arms and legs came up to me, begging me to drink out of it. I said no, and protested for my bottle. That's when this giant bottle appeared, knocking the sippy cup off a giant cliff, and explaining to me that he was a big peoples bottle, I was just the right size for it. So I enjoyed the bottle, only to wake up moments later, feeling disappointed that it was only a dream." Tommy explained.
"So did you decide to use your cup after that?" Rosie asked.
"No. But that night before mommy put me to bed, she tried to get me to use my cup again, but I wasn't giving up. One way or another, I was getting my bottle back. I went from pouring out the milk, to knocking the cups on to the floor. Luckily, Spike came along and started licking up my mess, but that still didn't cheer me up. Finally, at the end of the day, mommy toldid me that she promised I'd get use to the cup, but I wasn't buying it. I reached my breaking point, as I burst into tears, crying myself to sleep." Tommy explained.
"Awe, you poor thing. Had I known you back then, and we lived close enough to play together, I would have made the trade very easy. I mean, think about it, you weren't interested in sucking on pacifiers anymore anyway, so you could have given me that one you found while searching for your bottle, which, I might add, you never even told Phil and Lil that you looked for it? I'm surprised at you. I at least told Hazel everything that had happened." Rosie explained.
"I didn't think about it, I was pretty thirsty and depressed at this point." Tommy interrupted.
"I bet ya had Chuckie been there, he would have suggested you guys go looking for it, and had you guys split up and looked all over the house, you guys would have founded you a bottle that you could have drank before your mommy stopped you." Rosie said.
"Maybe, but you can't change the past. Besides, things gotted better after I cried myself to sleep." Tommy said.
"Actually, you could change the past, by using Peter's time machine and taking Chuckie and Angelica back to that time, and seeing what happens differently. Ooops? Did I just recommend you taking Angelica? Forget I said that, but anyway, had I known you back then, I would have gladly shared my bottle with you, in exchange for your old pacifier that you didn't want no more." Rosie said.
"You wouldn't have had to, cuz sometime later on that night, I guess my mommy and daddy felt bad about what they had put me through all day, as even my grandpa gotted involved." Tommy said.
"Wait a second, I thought your grandpa lived at a tired home with your grandma Lulu." Rosie said.
"Nah, not then he didn't. That happened way way later, after Dilly was born. At this time, he still lived with me." Tommy said.
"So what happened?" Rosie asked.
"Well, I heard them outside my door, but I didn't want to get in trouble, so I pretended to be asleep. I heard my mommy whisper something about giving me back my bottle tomorrow, after they came into the room, so once I heard them leave, I opened my eyes, to see my grandpa was still there, carrying a bottle. I reached out the side of my crib, grabbed it from him, and was in bottle Heaven, as I clinched what felt like a thirst that would never go away, ending my day on a happy note." Tommy explained.
"So, wait a minute, if you gotted your bottle back, what happened where weaning was concerned?Though I'll admit, that would explain why Phil and Lil more or less, put that event of you tricking them for their bottles with that monster thing behind them." Rosie said.
"Well, they did come to play the nextest day, and I did apologize, that also helped." Tommy said.
"Ok, that's good. And then?" Rosie asked.
"Well, I put the whole thing behind me, going back to the bottle. That is, until sometime after Dil was born. It happened one day when my daddy went away, and wanted me to be the man of the house. I did everything he would do, including making a new toy for Dil, cuz that's what my daddy does for a living, after accidentally stepping on his favorite raddle and breaking it. But after that, mommy gave me and Chuckie some juice to try in sippy cups. Of course, I was pretty tired out from being the man of the house, but at the same time, seeing that Chuckie had been drinking from a sippy cup for a while now, as he started after we went to Slots Vegas, and I didn't wish to set a bad example for my little brother, I used the sippy cup for the firstest time, and found it wasn't so bad. From then on, until I turndid three and started preschool, I continued to drink from both, and my bottle at bedtime really got interesting after I metted Zack, and he introduced me to milk and Ovaltine, which really tasted good! But when I started preschool, I realized that I was no longer a baby, as you may recall us learning about when we went to Washing Machine DC, and everybody said we wouldn't be babies no more. So after we came home from that trip, I started regularly drinking out of regular cups, but I still prefer sippy cups when I'm in bed, in my playpen, or don't feel very well. And I like the sippy cup I have now with Reptar on it, it's betterer than that one with the happy face on it, just, how it looks." Tommy said.
"Wow, that explains a lot, but where did you get your Reptar sippy cup?" Rosie asked.
"I guess they were selling them at the burger place, cuz mommy got it for me one day as a surprise, and she pulled it out of a takeout bag from that place when Zack was over playing, and we brought lunch home from that place." Tommy replied.
Before Rosie could say another word, Peter came over to the playpen.
"Hey Tommy, it's time for the halftime show, Taffy's going to be on it, you care to watch with me?" Peter asked.
At the same time, Sandy shouted in Rosie's living room, getting her attention.
"Halftime show yeah! " Sandy cried excitedly.
"Uh, you guys, I think I'm gonna go, but glad you're feeling better Tommy, and thanks for telling me your story." Rosie said.
"Me too, being sick is no fun, and thanks for telling me your story again, and sorry for falling asleep on you the lastest time." Tommy said.
"It's ok, you were sick, you couldn't help it. Chances are had I been sick, and you had been telling me a story on Facetime, I would have fallen asleep too. Well, see ya." Rosie said.
"Bye Rosie." Tommy said, as they disconnected the Facetime call, and Peter put his iPhone back into a pocket of his Confederate uniform.
Rosie left Mary's iPad on the kitchen table and went to join Sandy on the living room couch, just as the halftime show was starting, while Tommy let himself out of his playpen with his screwdriver and joined Peter on the couch to watch the same thing. However, no sooner had the halftime show started, when everybody was in for a surprise.
"Well, it looks like our performer for the halftime show, Taffy, from Taffy and the Saltwaters, is unable to make it." The announcer said on the screen.
"How come?" Another announcer asked, who was dressed in a black tuxedo.
The first announcer who was a female, wearing a red dress, turned her gaze away from the camera for a minute, as she wiped a tear from her eye, before turning back and continuing.
"Well, poor Taffy is off at a funeral today. Her grandfather died earlier this week at age sixty-three of cancer. Our condolences go out to her family, but not to worry, we didn't leave you guys hanging. In fact, they say that Taffy personally contacted this replacement to take her place for the halftime show. Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together, for Sherry Berry!" The female announcer said, as Sherry Berry came out on stage.
"Thank you thank you." Sherry Berry said, as the applause died down, and she positioned herself at the mic.
"Before I begin, I'd like to say, that it's with deepest regrets that we must say goodbye to Taffy's paternal grandfather, Grandpa Joe. It's thanks to him, bringing her to one of my concerts when she was little, that I was able to turn Taffy on to music, making her the star she is today. Joe, may you rest in peace. And now, I'd like to perform for you all, a song I like to sing in times like this." Sherry Berry said, as she finished up her speech and started singing her song.
The song was about how it's hard to lose a love one, but that we must be strong for them. As her beautiful soothing voice filled the living rooms of Rosie and Tommy, the two toddlers, were blown away by her performance, just as they always were, even if she was singing one of her more adult like songs, not exactly geared for young children. Rosie put her head in Sandy's lap, as she closed her eyes and drifted off into thought, while Tommy stretched out on the couch, as he closed his eyes and fell asleep, taking a nap as the second half of Ultrabowl 50 began.
"Hmmm, guess Tommy, while he's feeling better, was more tired than he thought." Peter said to himself, as he turned his gaze away from the TV for a brief second to see that Tommy had fallen asleep on the couch, before excusing himself for a brief second to go into the kitchen and grab him some more nochos and another can of Coke, before sitting back down in the easy chair with his snack, as he sat back, and enjoyed the rest of the game.
The End
Author's Note: Sorry I made this one-shot so long. I got so carried away, that before I knew it, well, when I thought of dividing it up into chapters, I wasn't at the best place in the story to divide it. If you made it this far though, I hope you enjoyed the story, and as always, I thank you for reading. I should point out though, that the part at Rosie's dentist appointment, where they played that tickle game to get her to open her mouth, I got from PB&J Otter, when they did the same thing for Baby Butter at her checkup, to get her to open up. And, did you notice the references to several Rugrats episodes? Touchdown Tommy at the beginning of the chapter, and obviously, Weaning Tommy, from Tommy's perspective. Keeping in mind that in real time, the events of that episode took place over a period of two days, and while we went from Tommy making a deal with Phil and Lil to his dream at naptime, it's called, not wasting time with unnecessary stuff, since it's gotta be covered in eleven minutes. However, I always figured that Phil and Lil probably gave Tommy the silent treatment for a time after that, even if it was only for the rest of that day's playdate, heck, had he pulled something like that on me, I know I would have. And we also learned what got him to gradually move to using a sippy cup, as seen in the Man of the House episode. And, they went to Los Vegas in season 4, and it was after that when we started seeing Chuckie using a sippy cup, hince, Tommy's reference to that. I also figured that Ultrabowl was the Rugrats universe version of the Superbowl, and since we just had Superbowl 50 last weekend, is why I decided to include that in this story. Also, not sure if you figured it out, but when it came to the East coast gendar bender Rugrats, the original episodes, Weaning Tommy and the short episode from season 7, Dil's Binky, were merged into one event where Rosie's life was concerned. If you didn't figure that out, that part comes in when Rosie's pacifier took a trip from the trash bag all the way to the park. However, there was no way that Tommy could retell the events of that, because while he saw Dil's binky fly, he didn't see where it landed on the rest of its journey, same with Rosie's, hince, why I told that part in a normal POV, rather than in Rosie POV or Tommy POV, like with their versions of their stories. And you guys will get a chance to learn of Dil's first trip to the dentist and his experience with weaning from the pacifier briefly, whenever I should get Zack's Birthday Surprise released, which, since I seem to be too busy at the time of my nephew's actual birthday in October, I'll see what things are like around April 10 of this year, which would mark his half birthday, and if that's a weekend, I'll try to release that story at that time instead. And having Taffy's paternal grandpa being named Joe, and dying at age sixty-three of cancer, was my way of paying dedication to Joe Allaskey, who we lost a week and a half ago now at the time I'm posting this, since I already covered grandpa Lou's death in a previous story of mine, thus, decided to come up with a clever way to pay respect towards this, it was all I could come up with. Anyway, can't think of much else to say, so, I'm gonna end it for now, and, well, I hope to release more stories, sometime soon.