5 Dentist Visits in ONE day!

We took all 4 kids to the dentist today...a few days ago...

I was supposed to mother the adventure alone, but my husband had compassion on me.

Actually, he took my care into his hands, walked in from his morning visit to a client in town, and was on the phone with a new dentist office...

for me!

Just so happens, that on the day that the children were scheduled for routine visits, a tooth of mine reached it's pain threshold, and I...once again...was in need of an emergent dental visit.

(Yes, this happened all within a week of getting a speeding ticket, the day I shattered my phone for a second time sending shards of glass into my hand every time I tried to pick it up, and the morning I attempted a run with the girls in 25 degree weather only to listen to Miss Maya, bundled in warmth, scream her lungs out for 25 minutes....never mind the injuries I've acquired only 6 weeks from the marathon I've trained so hard for.)

My joy...children with perfect teeth!!!

Maya screamed her little lungs silents and cried her eyes dry...but had her Daddy for comfort.

Her puffy eyes are still so beautiful!

Daddy encouraged her to get the lips toy...

And taught her how to use it!

The dentist was AWESOME...honest, straight forward, kind and funny!  Perfect for parents and children!

Lydia begged to lay on the chair to have her teeth cleaned, though she was completely unaware that this visit would trigger the dreaded "bye bye binky" day!

Lydia loves to play doctor at home....she has me lay down on the dining room table and climbs up to me.  She taps on my tummy and listens to my heart.

She was calm outwardly but freaking out on the inside...as I could see by her little eyes...when the chair went from laying to sitting in a matter of moments.  Her breathing intensified and her stiff little body was fighting a bend in her waist as she tensed with fear.  My hand, reaching in, was meant to calm her as I anticipated a screaming daughter!

I am shocked that Aiden has pearly whites...but grateful indeed!

And Connor looked so big in a pediatric chair with his arm dangling down.  His feet hung off the bottom of the chair, and the dentist informed us that he is a very fast developer.  Yep, our baby with teeth at 3 months already has teeth he shouldn't have until 10.  EEEKK!!!

ALl that started well...ended well.  Miss Maya hugged me so tight at the beginning of the day, and was smiling at days end as well.

The Magic Continues...

We've had out fair share of magic shows over the last little while.  Connor shows us tricks that we "have never seen before" and he mysteriously whispers the phrase, "prepare...(pause for effect)...to be...(another creepy pause)...amazed" with his head tilted down, and eyes piercing your soul!

His "handy" side kick, Aiden, is always nearby...and by nearby, I mean close BEHIND, and even kneeling on the ground.  I haven't quite figured out why he is almost hidden and behind...or, could it be that the amazing appearing and disappearing of items is simply a slight of hand?

Hmm...so perplexing!

Of course, their binky bound sister is learning their masterful tricks as well! 

Intermission was brought to us by "Sprout"...probably Papa Bear...or maybe even Thomas!  The magicians needed a mental break! 

Today...there was no magic...

Well, if you call entertaining the girls with buckets of water and seeing the water "magically" disappear from the buckets time and again magic, then you can say it still goes on when the boys are away.  

Maya walked to me today with her little yellow tea cup in hand and sweetly said, "Wa'er".

I couldn't resist, so I quickly swept the crumbs from the floor in preparation for its cleaning.  We moped about three times in the course of an hour time, changed clothes, encouraged Maya with the counting game to stay out of Lydia's chair as she gathered more tea set supplies, and told each other, "I'm being very careful" as we walked across wet floors on our tippy toes for more toys and drinks.

Today Lydia had me laughing as she stood at the counter top, casually leaning on her elbows as I sewed away.  She gently took Maya's hand away from the "off" button on the machine a number of times...often too late.  In between garbles of talk, half of which were totally unrelated to my sewing skills, she said, numerous times, "Thanks Bob!" in the sweetest slangy voice she has ever uttered.   

Bob?  Bob who?

All did not end well for Lydia.  She fell at scouts tonight, tore some skin off her big left toe and screamed the entire way home from scouts.  Her whole body was shaking and heaving with pupils dilated and fixed on her owie.  Aiden was genuinely concerned, and as I drove, exclaiming, "It's alright baby, when we get home, Mommy will take care of it," I glanced back and Aiden had the first aide kit out.  His hand fumbled through the contents for a bandaid.  As he retrieved one, and asked me to open it, I could see his concern worsen...in direct correlation to Lydia's panic. 

Unfortunately, he could not ease her pain, and he felt the sorrow of watching his sweet sister suffer.  Aiden's heart is made of gold with the words compassion written so clear and deep upon it.

I love this boy, my red headed little fire...who holds the fire of God in his tiny little frame.

Now, tell me...who would want to steal his food and his jacket???  Poor guy has been facing a thief this school year...and we are losing miserably.

 Maya recently freaked Daddy out with her bath time tricks; he seriously thought Lydia was going to drown our little gal.  Nope, this is all Maya! ;)

 And in case you didn't forget, "Tin Can Man" is sitting proudly on our fridge....

Connor's teacher is requesting the tabs...they are hard to part with!

Homemaking

I've been on a homemaking kick this week...standing at the counter-top and ironing board all day...

sewing...

cutting...

stamping...cleaning...

providing snacks and drinks...

and enjoying the fruits of my labors.

Steve and  I are both nurses, so it wouldn't be surprising that there is always a bottle or 2 of hand sanitizer and lotion.  I got tired of the clutter, so I threw them all into a basket with an accompanying sign that should read..."Clean and Soft (in) hand, heart, and word."

It encompasses everything we should be clean and soft in, on a spiritual note...physically, expressively, and within (spiritually).  Just so happens that placing them by the physical reminder of hand sanitizer and lotion is a perfect symbol, and helps me make the clutter look cute!

How Do I Love Thee?

It has been one rough week with these kiddos.  From hours without sleep, to hours of homework, to hours of a husband who is on call 24/7 for a full week...

It's just been busy!

There were many nights when the kids went to bed in tears, and I went to bed with a heavy heart.  The pressure of the world weighs so heavy on them at such a young age.  They go to school for 7 hours a day, come home and do homework for 2-3 hours, have dinner, take a shower and get ready to head off to bed after just a few minutes of play.  The boys express their stress over tests and responsibilities, while I sit back and wonder why they aren't just kids???

And allowed to be kids...

I worked Monday, on Tuesday I attempted to make homework time enjoyable--got a pizza with the last few dollars in my wallet, went to get happy hour drinks...and half of them went plummeting to the floor of the Ford.  I wanted to cry, but I screamed...

...then the kids cried.  

On Wednesday, I gathered the left over macaroni and cheese after desperately trying to get the place cleaned up before the school bus arrived.  We took our swim suits to Mimi's house and used the hot tub for the evening.  When we got home, the boys threw tantrums and screamed words at me strong enough to provoke me to walk away for the course of the night and leave their routine in their Dad's hands.  The boys, with tears falling down their faces, yelled, "I'm sorry Mom, I love you...Do you forgive me?"  Again, I went to bed with a heavy heart.

On Thursday, I woke determined to change the course of the week...I had spoken with my sister and let her know that I had tried so hard all week long and things were just getting worse.  She informed me that the fact that I keep trying is what matters...I'd be a failure if I stoped trying in the end.  So, I spent the entire day, a day late (2/2/2012), making quilted Valentine bags for all of my children.  I picked them up from the bus stop and we made a trip to the grocery store.

Connor is quickly becoming more of a helper than a hindrance to a successful grocery trip!

He insisted that he do the work on his own! 

We actually picked up pizza again...with lava cakes too!  We were celebrating! 

 The kiddos all bathed themselves to pristine quality!  Well, I bathed the girls, but Maya is showing me that she has no fear of laying down in the water...to enjoy the warmth up over her ears!  She's a brave little gal!

Daddy wrote notes for the boys before he headed to work in the morning...I stuffed them into their bags as a sweet little surprise...

...well, I added Dove chocolates as well! 

I worked away, and upon completion, the light bulbs in the kids heads went on, and they realized that all the "cool things" I was doing was for them!!! 

And so the count down to Valentine's begins....

a day late!

But...even at a day late, it has begun...

and that's what matters most in the end.

It's never too late to make things better, to turn a heavy week into one of success, to change for the better...and to love. 

They most certainly appreciated all of it! 

 The joy on their faces with Daddy's notes was priceless...

Now, that's the right way to raise a kiddo--to build them up when they do good instead of tearing them down when they have done bad.  Way to go Daddy!

So, on the 2nd they were told, "As I have loved you, love one another." John 13:34

And today, they were informed that "I have loved thee with an everlasting love!" Jeremiah 31:3

Tea Anyone???

Daddy initiated a tea party for the girls a few days ago.  Everyone, eventually, was in attendance...

Maya had to look prim and proper with her hair pulled back...and yes, she did that her self!

Elmo became the guest of honor...and Daddy taught Maya how to do the best Elmo impersonation yet!