The Dentist Appointment

Maybe it is just a coincidence that the week that Cort has a dentist appointment is the same week that he takes a llama for show and share (the letter of the week is L).  But this was always one of my favorite Sesame Street clips.

Fittingly, February is National Children's Dental Health Month.  In Cortlan's class, the week's topic/theme has been dental hygiene.  They have learned all about teeth and going to the dentist and have read books, sung songs, and created teeth masterpieces.  So, yesterday, when Cortlan piped up that he was going to be going to the dentist, his teacher wasn't sure if that was simply a 4-year-old's tale, or if, coincidentally, he actually had a dentist appointment.  In fact, he did.  And, true to form, he was excited about it.

We got to the dentist and Cortlan was already talking about what color toothbrush he was going to pick.  When it was our turn to head back, he happily climbed into the chair, donned the sweet sunglasses (though he did mention that he liked the flip-up ones that he had last time a little better), and followed every instruction he was given.  They used the electric tooth brush with blue raspberry tooth paste; they used the water sprayer and suction device; they even scraped a bit of plaque off from behind his teeth and painted on fluoride.  No problem.  He was lavished with compliments and got to pick a tattoo and two stickers when he was done.  Cool.

But here was the slightly-surprising-but-not-really part:  the whole time, Everly was jumping at the chance to climb up on the chair to have her turn, too.  She soooo badly wanted them to stick things in her mouth and check her teeth and paint on fluoride.  And of course, she wanted to wear the sunglasses.

She didn't have an appointment scheduled, so it came much to my surprise when the hygienist said, "Let me check my schedule and get you some papers to fill out.  We might be able to do this."  Well, ok!  Everly excitedly said, "My turn!!" as she climbed up on the chair.

And quietly, patiently, trustingly, she let them do anything they wanted...with full cooperation.  Just like her big brother.

 
And just like her brother, she got a tattoo and two stickers.  And she was proud.  And so was I...of both of them.

Ahhh, Genetics.

Welp, it took a while to get the appointment, but last Thursday was Cort's annual birthday visit to the pediatrician.  I might actually say birthday present visit, since my children enjoy going to the doctor so much.  (Seriously, they do.  Not sure what that is saying that going to the ped's office is a definite highlight for them, but Cortlan also truly looks forward to going to the dentist.)  The visit went well.  Here is what we found out:

1.  That our little guy is a little guy.  Not that it is all about numbers, but he is staying right on that growth trendline that he has always been on: 25th percentile in height and 10th percentile in weight. 

2.  He has great hearing, speaks well for his age, and can touch his nose and then the doctor's finger, then his nose, then the finger, then the nose, then the finger quite well.

3.  He might have a "color vision deficiency" (i.e. there is a chance that he is color blind).  We have to get additional testing to be sure, but I have actually been suspicious of this for a while.  Having a dad who is color blind, I have grown up aware of the sometimes subtle difficulties that arise from such a deficiency.  Having some knowledge of genetics, I also know that I am a carrier of the gene and that Cort has a 50/50 chance of inheriting it.  The simple test that the doctor gave (identifying a black, green, and red stripe on the eye chart) did not go quite as well as hoped (his response: black, black, orange).  Maybe it was the lighting.  Maybe he was tired of answering all of the questions after a long exam.  Maybe I gave him a bum x-chromosome.  In any case, no big deal, but off to the opthamologist we will go just to double check.  Even though there isn't really anything that can be done about it, we can at least be aware and make his teachers aware. 

4.  The doctor did a good job.  This I know because she earned a sticker.  From Cortlan.  He brought one for her and gave it to her at the end of the exam.

Next up: The dentist. We are all pumped!!  ;)

Somewhat Silent Sunday

No, this really hasn't been a quiet Sunday at all.  But I've read some blogs that have done a "Wordless Wednesday" post, and I love the concept.  However, today isn't Wednesday, nor is this entry entirely wordless.  Hence, the title.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!

Nothing a Boo Boo Buddy and a little humor can't fix

I realize that it isn't very nice to laugh at other people's expense.  I really, really do.  And it is probably even worse to laugh at your kid's expense.  Truly, I am not a person who takes pleasure in other people's pain.  But sometimes, it just happens...like that time when Cortlan was traumatized at the thought of having a time out.  And like yesterday:

We were playing on the sun porch, and it was freezing out there, so we had the portable heater on, which only increased the temperature marginally.  We were spread out on the floor, playing with trains, when Cortlan quickly jumped up, proclaimed that he had to go potty, and then promptly ran full speed into the closed sliding glass door, bouncing back to the floor.

Poor kid.

It all happened in an instant.  John and I looked at each other, and really tried hard to not laugh.  But it kind of slipped out a little.  Cortlan didn't notice, I don't think.  But in our family, the best way for us to handle situations such as these is to not go overboard.  If we don't make a big deal of it, they don't make a big deal of it.  Moreover, we are trying to teach our kids to find the humor in life.  So, what did we do to help Cortlan stop crying?

Well, first we got him his "boo-boo buddy" from the freezer to put on his head to reduce the swelling.

Then we told him about the time I ran into the screen door, knocking the whole thing down and bending the frame.  (Yes, I did.)

Then we showed him a Super Bowl commercial.

He laughed.  We laughed.  All is well. 
Though, writing this just reminded me that I should probably wipe the face print from the door.

This post could probably be better

Have you ever thought about how some of your best traits can sometimes simultaneously be your worst?

Case in point:  I have long (forever?) lived with some ingrained, possibly genetically programed trait that leads my behavior like some guy constantly whispering from every shadow, "Hey - you can do better.  You can always do better."

I could have probably found a better picture.  But at least there is one.

I live with the knowledge that there is always room for improvement.  Which is a nice idea and all, and probably got me to where I am in life.  But dammit, sometimes I just want that guy to shut up.

Because sometimes, I just want to stop looking for ways to improve, and ride it out for a while.  But that guy is always making me feel like a slacker.  And I hate being a slacker.

There is always room for improvement...I think about it in every lesson I write and teach at school, as a wife, as a mom, as a person who attempts to eat well and live a healthy lifestyle.  Even as a blogger.  It exhausts me.  It keeps me moving forward, I suppose, but sometimes I just want to be able to be ok with "good enough."  I have a really hard time with that, I think.  (Any psychologists out there?)

So, as I read on a friend of mine's blog (ahem) that basically blogs suck if they don't have pictures in them (ok, maybe she didn't quite put it that way, and I might mention that she is a professional photographer and I really do love and envy her), I have added a picture to not one, not two, but three past blog posts.  And I might try to do better in the future on the picture front. 

But sometimes, the words are just going to have to be good enough.  :)

Let's ride!!

I really thought we were onward to February after the last post, but I can't help myself but to write one more for January.

I can't help myself because yesterday I was in my glory as my dad, my brother, two of my nieces, and all four members of my family loaded our sleds into our cars and headed to the most awesome sled riding hill around...the same exact one that I went sled riding on when I was a child.

It took about an hour to get enough layers on four people for the occasion and to get out the door, but the next hour or so was pure bliss.  I rode with Cortlan on my lap and John with Everly on his for the first trip down the hill.  Then we switched it up.  Seeing his brave five-year-old cousin head down the hill by herself, Cort soon followed suit and made his first solo trip (with me on another sled following close behind).  He was a trooper, climbing back up the substantial hill by himself after every run.  He was loving it all as much as I was and was having a ton of fun. 

Everly's reaction was a bit tougher to gauge.  She resisted a bit to going down the hill, but at the bottom of the hill (with melting snow all over her face), she admitted to having fun when asked.  But when asked if she wanted to do it again, she said, "No.  All non (done)!"  We did get her to go down a few more times, but she was most content sitting and watching, never complaining, as the rest of us (minus one adult who stayed behind with Ev) laughed and hollered as we enjoyed the ride.

The view down the hill from the top.  What a ride!

These days...

So I haven't written in a little while because I was seriously waiting for someone to comment on my last post and give me all the secrets to balancing life.

Ok, not really.

I have just been busy...balancing.

After the insaneness that is November and December and concludes with Cortlan's birthday in January, things are finally calming down.  Well, sort of.  I mean, right now, I am typing this while chaperoning an event with the Actors' Society for which I had to spend the night at the school.  Yes.  I slept on the floor of the auditorium last night with fifteen teenagers.  Well, maybe that is an exaggeration.  I slept on an air mattress on the floor of the auditorium with fifteen teenagers.  I will eventually make it home at about 11pm tonight.  (A quick shout out to my wonderful and supportive husband who is home taking care of the kids and will bring them here to visit me after their nap today.)

But just to catch upp a little bit, here is what has been going on these days:

• I got a student teacher, which is giving me a new and refreshing perspective exactly when I needed it most.
• We booked our summer vacation to the beach, which I have found is the very best thing to do when there is snow falling down outside, adding to the inches that have been on the ground for weeks now.
• I got my motivation to run back just in time for our treadmill to go out of commission.
• We are enjoying another amazing run as Steelers fans and are planning to cook the "Christmas turkey that never thawed" on Super Bowl Sunday.  (If it isn't going to be a Christmas turkey, it might as well be a Super Bowl turkey, right?) 
• Everly is growing up at a suddenly alarming rate.  She is peeing on the potty a couple of times a day, at least.  She is taking off her own clothes (something that Cortlan was always weirdly resistant to doing) and picking out the ones that she wants to wear.  She is playing with her Snap 'n Style dolls like a big girl, dressing them and undressing them, brushing their hair.  She is playing with her blocks, building towers that are totally unstructurally sound and then transforming into Ev-zilla as she knocks them down with a belly laugh.  She is playing with anything that Cortlan plays with because she adores him like no other.  And she is saying the cutest things, like, "Daddy's home!" and "Here you go, Mommy! (Hee doh, Mommy)" and "Tah-dah!!"  Oh, and she blames all her "toots" on Cortlan.

• Cortlan is finding his groove as a four-year-old.  He has moved on to the big boy sized Legos, but still enjoys building garages for his cars with the Mega Blocks in his sister's room. He posed like a GQ model at his latest photo session.  I couldn't help but to laugh as he happily moved into whatever position he was instructed and smiled a surprisingly natural smile.  He is talking "bad guys" and "good guys" and superheroes, like the boys with big brothers that are in his class.  But his favorite color is still pink.  And he said he wants to get his sister flowers for her birthday. 

Onward to February, I suppose.  Time is passing by so quickly.