"Welcome to my life."

I was not going to blog tonight. Nope, nope. However, something happened tonight that needed to be written down.

Sergeant has had a loose molar for FOREVER! It is his first molar to get loose, he was determined to pull it out a month ago but he wasn't able to get it. And every day since then we've been asking him "How's that tooth coming along?". Nope, not yet.

Also, Monkey has been wanting to lose teeth for FOREVER! She has been telling people she has loose teeth for a year or more. Nothing has come out yet.

As I was getting the girls out of the tub tonight, I checked in on Monkey's mouth and I could see a little nub of a new tooth coming in behind one of her front bottom teeth and that tooth was decidedly loose. Yay! Ecstatic Monkey! She quickly got dressed, brushed her teeth, and ran downstairs to show Daddy her mouth. Next thing I knew, I had Sergeant skulking up the stairs, very slowly.

I have been designated the official tooth puller in the house. My fingers are smaller than Hubby's and I can get a better grip on the white little nubs.

He told me that he was told to get mommy to pull his tooth out. So I got my fingers ready and approached. He flinched, he tensed before I even got my fingers on the silly thing. It took me less than 10 seconds to get it! And he stood there. Stunned. He was anticipating more pain, maybe? the sound of bones cracking perhaps?

But, once Monkey saw what I had done for Sergeant, she demanded that I try it for her. Her tooth wasn't, isn't that loose. So I did a little pull, just a little harder than I had when I was just wiggling it, and stopped. I know when to stop. She was not a happy Monkey. She felt her tongue all around, put a tissue in her mouth for the blood (there was only a single drop...) and sat next to me needing cuddles because it was just too much. Then she discovered a hole.from where the tooth had cracked from the root.

Still crying, she got up and showed Daddy the hole. He was less sympathetic than she had wanted. She needed to be fawned over and coddled. So she showed Sergeant next. "Look, I have a hole! and it hurts!"

He examined her mouth carefully. Squinted those killer blue eyes and peered into the recess of her mouth. He told her that it would make it easier to pull now.

Then she said "But it really hurts!"

To which that 9 year old responded with the wisdom of a tooth pulled veteran, "Welcome to my life."

And Hubby and I nearly died.

So now, we have a girl who is experiencing new feelings in her mouth but is now getting excited again for it to fall out. "Maybe even at school tomorrow!" And we have an almost 10 year old imparting the wisdom of the tooth losing to the littlest of the family.

There is always so much that goes on, with lulls in between. Go, go, go, with some downtime to recharge and reset.

We have come up against strep throat, big feelings, talk of self-discipline and prayer, lots of cuddling, lots of reading.

The boys and Daddy are really enjoying playing on and exploring the X Box we got for Christmas this year. Girlie is excited to play too, and to learn the controls and plots of the games she feels comfortable playing, and Monkey has decided that it is boring and needs to watch Netflix while the others are playing on it in the basement. Good thing she has parents who think that's a pretty good idea too.

A couple weeks ago Smarty brought the Lego bin up out of the basement and there was so much creating and playing. And little, itty, bitty Lego pieces all over the floor. But it was worth the injury hazard to watch that imagination and creativity. Monkey built and then had some imaginary play. Animals, creatures, people, had some pretty neat adventures.

I am nearing the end of my year-long online course, and am surprised sometimes that the day to day stuff gets done! But I have amazing support from Hubby, and a few (repetitive) conversations with the kids, reminding them that Mommy doesn't have the same time o get things done as before and it is important that they follow instructions when needed. And it wouldn't hurt to have them do a few things without being asked... but that's something that takes practice and repetition anyways.

I have a few pictures I am going to post. Archery is up and running, a couple from over the holidays.

 

She was thrilled when Daddy was able to get away from work to watch her Christmas concert! 

 

First band concert playing the alto saxophone! They really did have a lot of fun.

 First archery tournament is all finished! We got the scoring back last week and Sergeant did fantastically well!

Best part of finally having snow!