Metal Mouth

I've taken a break from blogging over the past couple of weeks because I was using every spare hour or two for painting the hallway, and then dealing with the consequences of that (mostly exhaustion!). With our ranch style home, the hallway is the nerve center and occupies a lot of square footage...and has six doorways for bedrooms, bathroom, and closets...yeesh but it takes a long time to paint all those moldings and cut in the line between wall and ceiling neatly. Walls are a medium tan color, moldings are lighter tan (using leftover paint from the living room) and it looks great now!

Anyway, that's not what I intended to write about this morning. Son #1 began the process of getting straight teeth last Wednesday, when the orthodontist put rubber spacers in between his molars top and bottom. This was extremely uncomfortable for him, but the good news is that he finally conquered the mind-over-matter brick wall that had previously rendered him unable to swallow Tylenol. At about 01:30 last Thursday morning, the Tylenol kicked in and he got to sleep.

Yesterday afternoon was the big time. An hour in the chair. The doc removed the spacers from the top jaw (whew) and attached the braces. My son chose a cool electric blue from the color palette. A bit of discomfort while eating dinner last night, but he took the doc's advice and cut up all chewy food very small. No midnight yowling about pain. Played it safe this morning and had fruit instead of crunchy cereal. Tonight's the spring band concert (and he has two clarinet solos) so that will be the real test of nerve endings.

I didn't have any metal in my mouth when I had the Invisalign braces. I went for adjustments every two weeks. With the metal braces, he only has to go once a month for adjustments. Seems like a fair tradeoff to me. Can't wait to see the results. After writing a $1000 check last night, and anticipating the $170 monthly payments for 22 months, I've got my eyes on the prize.

Don't Let a Little Rain Scare You

The weather is rather uninspiring today on Lawn Guyland, with off and on showers and drizzle. Son #1 had a soccer practice planned for this afternoon. Most coaches don't hold practice in the rain (although games are held in the rain unless field conditions or weather conditions are unsafe). However, we got the following email from Coach Ricky a little while ago:

Practice is on for today. Don't let a little rain scare you. Dress warm.

While I don't love running around outside in the rain, I did love the overall idea of this note. Don't let a little adversity ruin your plans. How many people do we know who throw in the towel when they meet with a teensy bit of resistance? Their successes are not the result of perserverance, and they can't look back on their accomplishments recalling the struggles and the sweat. I like to bask in the rewards of my uphill climb.

Too bad my son will have to move up to the next age group in the fall, leaving this coach behind. But, Son #2 will move up, and hopefully onto Coach Ricky's team. We're not afraid of a little rain!

Bat or Bite?

Last night I was telling my youngest how much I loved his Mother's Day poem (which is currently on display in my office at work!) and he remarked that his teacher didn't get one of the items quite right. He had said "every vampire loves a bite" and the teacher heard "every vampire loves a bat" so that's what made it onto the lovely formatted and framed version.

I'm not sure whether I'm more fond of the intended version or the unintended version! The thought of being bitten by a vampire doesn't quite give me the Mommy's Day warm fuzzies. Hmm.

Waxing Poetic

Oh how I am cherishing these last few years when Son #3 will be in elementary school. Once that period of life is over, the cute Mother's Day gifts drop off sharply. Here is the text of the framed "Love Is" poem that he gleefully presented to me yesterday morning.

Every ice cream loves a cone,

Every decoration loves a Christmas tree,

Every tree loves a leaf,

And I love you!

Every month loves a day,

Every art box loves supplies,

Every hen loves a rooster,

And I love you!

Every vampire loves a bat,

Every car loves a wheel,

Every hamburger loves some cheese,

And I love you!

Reeling in the Years

Today, three of my friends are celebrating birthdays. One turned 55 and another is 54. I met the older of the two when he was 25 and I was only 15, so it seemed like a huge deal at the time. Now that I'm 45, and we've both had more than one marriage and more than one career, he doesn't seem old to me at all. On the other hand, the one who turned 36 today seems like a real spring chicken. I remarked to him this morning that I was 36 when I was pregnant with Son #3, who'll be nine in August...and it seems like a lifetime ago that he was born. I've really advanced along this continuum we call time.

Good thing I like my life, or else I'd be mighty depressed right about now. On the contrary, it's a delightfully sunny spring day here on Long Island, with a gentle breeze. What a perfect afternoon to take a lunchtime walk around the office building, hearing the orioles sing.