Updates you want – updates you’ll get.

I love that y’all care. No really, I do. Not only does it make it easier to splash my life across these pages day after day, but it also keeps me on my toes (which reminds me, I’m in dire need of a pedicure). I’ve received emails and a couple of comments this week asking, “What about Meredith’s tooth?”, “How’s Kenny doing in Pre-K?” (and if you don’t say “HOW’s” – you should – slang is cool in OMSHville). And then, for the ever alert, “Why was Emelie at the Optometrist?” Truly, there is nothing that gets past y’all. Except? THAT! Watch out! GRAB IT! teehee… no worries, it wasn’t like it was a cockroach or anything.

Oh, and I’m going to ask you a favor at the end, sooooooooooooooooo stick with me, okay? Good … moving on.

“What about Meredith’s tooth?”

Remember this fiasco? Well, one gamillion-hajillion phone calls later, really limited dental insurance, another phone call to a local pedodontist, and $481.00 smackeroos, took us from this jagged front tooth smile…

to this gaggle o’ teeth smile…

Meredith’s first response when she saw her new tooth was, “MOM! They didn’t make it STRAIGHT!”

Um…yea baby, because it hasn’t finished GROWING IN yet. “Geez, give the ol’ tooth factory a break in there, they’re pushing it out as fast and straight as they can.”

The “fill” didn’t actually cost that much just for her front chipped tooth – we also sealed all four of her back molars as she has very deep holes that were putting out welcome signs for cavities.

Does anyone remember the cavity commercials on Saturday mornings?

“We make HOLES IN TEETH! We make HOLES IN TEETH!”?

No? Yes, well…I’m strange that way.

Apparently Meredith didn’t make for a very “patient” patient. Primarily because she’s a big-time mouth breather, and when they placed the laughing gas over her nose and put their hand over her mouth (so she’d breathe through her nose), SHE WAS NOT AMUSED. Her facial reaction was equivalent to if they had held her nose and mouth at the same time. As in, she thought she was suffocating.

“WHAT?! BREATHE THROUGH MY NOSE?! ARE YOU INSANE?! THAT’S NO WAY TO BREATHE!!”

After telling the dental hygienist she’d “Prefer not to have laughing gas.”, the dentist convinced her otherwise in a sweet gentle manner where she talked about Meredith being Jasmine from the movie Aladdin, and soon she’d feel all floaty-like … as if she was on her magic carpet flying around the office.

Except when Meredith was done and came back out to me, she looked more like her magic carpet had hit a wall – and you know those magic carpets don’t have seat belts.

She was spitting and muttering, “My MOUTH tastes REALLY BAD!” She was also holding her stomach, felt nauseated, and most of all, she was MAD. Meredith gets mad like I do. You just leave her alone when she’s mad. And I did. And she rambled on and on about how breathing through your nose for THAT long is WRONG (yes, she said “wrong” – breathing in and out through your nose has now become an ethical dilemma) and that she couldn’t swallow AND she couldn’t see the movie because EVERYONE was in her way.

I love the drama that is a very choleric 7 year old girl, don’t you?

To top it all off she said, “AND? SHE LIED! I DID NOT FEEL LIKE JASMINE!”

Well, there you go – the pedodontist is a liar. Would that be grounds for non-payment? Hmmmm…

Let’s look once again at that fixed tooth, shall we?

One day she’ll thank me and her daddy.

How’s Kenny doing in Pre-K?

If you haven’t been here for the saga that was Kenny starting Pre-K, you can catch up. Basically, he whigged out a bit and decided, after a year of begging us to start school, that school was NOT for him.

I agreed with Jeff and a few other wise advisors to stick it out with him for three weeks. We knew he was in a safe place. We know his teacher. We KNOW that school. Everyone was rooting for him from the office ladies to the coaches. It’s just that Kenny was a bit overwhelmed by a school with BIG KIDS (3rd and 4th graders) and then, there was that bully that kept trying to take his shoes off.

I was going through the motions – walking him to class, getting him situated, assuring him I’d be back, kissing his hand, and corresponding with his teacher EVERY.SINGLE.DAY.

Each day was a nightmare of tears and I’d be strong for him – right until I crawled back into my Suburban and cried like a baby.

And then, the final day came along. The day I was gonna rip him right out of that school and nestle him in my arms for one more year. We would make homemade playdough, go for nature walks, rent movies, read books, go on picnics, and spend one more blessed year together (okay maybe not – maybe we’d both go crazy with my work schedule).

It was the final day – the last day of a three week emotional circus.
He walked down the hall, giggling at a few friends that ran past. What is this laughter?
He sat down in his line after giving his teacher a High Five. Where are the tears?
He said the pledge proudly with his hand over his heart. Where are the outreaching arms for me?

NOT A SINGLE TEAR was shed.
NO FITS.
NO ARMS EXTENDED TO ME.
Not that day – or the next – or the next.

Now he goes to school laughing, tells us stories, brings us home artwork, befriended the bully, and is doing incredible. We had Open House the other night and he walked us through every single section of the room, explaining all the workshops and all the daily routines. HE WAS BEAMING with pride.

Much like this.

Today is his and Meredith’s Fun Run at school (yes, I’m taking my camera). Last year, he and I went to cheer on Meredith and Emelie as they ran. This year Jeff and I will be there with Izzy to cheer on him and Meredith as Em has moved on to Intermediate school.

So, this Pre-K thing? He did it. He made it. He loves it.

Why was Emelie at the Optometrist?

Emelie came home 2 weeks ago and said, “I’m having a hard time seeing the chalkboard.” After much probing, we also found out she was having a hard time seeing the lines on the soccer field. Uh oh.

It has been a while since Em’s eyes were checked. It isn’t mandatory before the school year starts in Texas (it was in Georgia), and so, we just didn’t know. Jeff’s been wearing glasses since he was about Em’s age – or a tad older, so we did realize that at some point there was a possibility one or more of our chil’ens would be needing glasses too.

We took her in on Monday. The assistant sits her down and has her read the letters across the room on the wall. She can’t read them. I’m looking at, what I think are, fairly obvious letters. She can’t see them AT ALL.

After a few more tests, we find out she is nearsighted and we order her a pair of everyday glasses and then another pair for soccer – play glasses.

The glasses came in yesterday and y’all, it is like a whole new world has just opened up to her. SHE WAS GIGGLING on the ride home.

“Mom! I can see the license plates!”

I asked, “You couldn’t see them before?”

She said, “No, that’s why daddy always beat me in that game.”

Oh.

“Mom! Look the McDonald’s sign! I didn’t know ‘M’ comes down TOGETHER in the middle!”

“Mom! I see scratches on the cars. I can see the scratches!”

“Mom! Check it out, leaves are more colorful – they looked like dots before.”

I’m not joking – she was having the time of her life.

You know that passage from the hymn Amazing Grace, “I once was blind, but now I see?” Uh huh … exactly. Okay, so not spiritual sight, but this physical sight is good for the soul, I SWEAR!

And? Well, I think she’s just the cutest four eyed creature I’ve ever seen.

Jeff and I think the glasses give her a sort of Lisa Loeb look.

Did you know that new glasses make you jump higher? Seriously cool spring action going on here.

Had enough? Okay fine, one more.

And after that investment, b/c again … insurance only takes you “so far” and then drops you right on your hind-end, I AM BROKE. Which means I need to get to work. But not before asking you for that special favor.

special favor request

I am only days (okay, maybe a few weeks) from putting up my new design here in OMSHville. And with it, comes a section where I’m going to rotate thumbnails of websites/blogs from you, the blessed readers who come every day and make me feel loved with all your fabulous affirmation. Who knew y’all could speak my love language so well? Each thumbnail will have a text link to your blog/website directly beneath it, as well the thumbnail will be linked to your digs.

So, what do I need? Not the thumbnails – I’ll make those myself. I need a list! Yes! A list of those who want their thumbnail showing. I do not want to assume you’d like to see a thumbnail of your site on my website. So email me – or let me know in the comments that YOU want YOUR site to be included.

Remember, these will not be thumbnails of YOU, but rather – of your site. A little “eye candy” to entice others to click on over and read what you have to say. We’re a community, no? I figure this will be better than a blogroll! Whoohooo!

Okay, that’s it.
Back to your regularly programmed day – or blog – or whatever!