Ten Things of Thankful: Mutiny Experiment Edition

I have been absent on The Hop for weeks. OK, let's be honest with ourselves...it's been months. If you are newer to this place, I’m certain I seem new to you at this moment...and I am perfectly fine with that. But I must confess that I used to be here faithfully each week. But life got in the way…blah, blah, blah.

But this morning, as I was ruminating on my first week through The Mutiny Experiment (there are 4 posts in which I have discussed it to some degree…lest you be interested in further explanation on why I am sounding something like a deranged woman in my list of thankfuls below, you can click here to find the initial one), and I was overwhelmed with a thankful heart.

And knew I must share my thankfuls…not just on the blogosphere, but here specifically at The Hop.

So thank you, Lizzi, for keeping this beautiful thing going and allowing me the chance to jump in as I’m able and inspired.

Without further delay, here is my Ten Things of Thankful Mutiny Edition:

1. So far I have been able to find eggs and berries on sale at decent prices…knowing at some point I may not, I have been glad for it while it's been available.
2. That I bought a 5-pound bag of quinoa a few weeks ago, not knowing that we would be making good use of it so expeditiously.
3. That there are several ways to combine these foods to give some semblance of variety: quinoa, beans and chicken served cold or warm; black bean and chicken soup; scrambled eggs with spinach and quinoa; quinoa and black bean burgers (includes spinach and eggs also); spinach salad with cold roasted chicken and hard-boiled egg. Now I ask you: does that sound ALL that bad? I suppose if you don’t like one or more of those ingredients it would, but I think it’s provided us with sufficient variety so far…we ARE only one week in, with three weeks to go.
4. Physically, I feel better…no more headaches, no mid-afternoon slump, none of that. And that I am thinking more carefully about what I put into my mouth and seeing the correlation between good food and feeling good.
5. I have this magnesium thing straightened out and haven’t had restless leg issues (yes, it is a real thing, people…I have had a few people ask me about it. Sure, it sounds C.R.A.Z.Y. but it is VERY REAL) for the past 2 nights…although Mr. AR said that when I first fall asleep and he’s still awake, my legs have been giving some violent individual jerks. Fortunately for me, I am sleeping through it.
6. That I found a bit of a loophole and have enjoyed some frozen yogurt the past two days. Lest you be curious, I don’t think it totally negates my objectives. And if anything, it makes me MORE thankful for it/variety/a taste of sugar than I ever was before. At the same time, it is not an all-consuming desire for sugar when I eat it…but I am wondering if somehow it is helping me sleep better? I figure I’d better not risk it and keep eating a little bit of frozen yogurt before bed. (Confession: I also added one slice of whole wheat bread to each dinner, which may also help eliminate the RLS.)
7. That in searching message boards to discern why my restless leg had flared up so terribly, I had a minor panic attack that I might end up GAINING weight on this fast-of-sorts b/c of the increased in fat and protein in my diet. So I am thankful for myfitnesspal.com where I am able to track it and make sure that I am not too skewed in one direction or another.
8. The discovery that berries (strawberries especially) are lovely on spinach…even without dressing; even the PBA like it…which is saying something. (NOTE: I have had strawberry and spinach salad in the past, but was always drowning in a vinegrette…I encourage each of you to try it WITHOUT the dressing; you’ll barely notice that it’s gone. I promise!)
9. I am spending WAY more time in the kitchen that I usually do…this “little to no processed foods” thing is kind of hard. Which, I know full-well, is why we haven’t done it before. Don’t get me wrong, we are still stocked with processed foods in our house…as I won’t throw away “perfectly good food” although I know it’s NOT “perfectly good food”. But I did spend money on it and I can’t just let it go to waste. I am trying to have the boys, to some degree, “eat down the stash” during this time so that when we are finished, we can all start new. So yes, I guess I am encouraging my kiddos to eat the craptastic diet just a little while longer. For the record…not ALL the time, just occasionally, so it’s not a full-force effect on their systems. All this rambling to say in this: I am thankful that I am a stay-at-home/homeschooler mom who IS home and CAN spend time in the kitchen to prepare things from scratch: roasted chicken, home-made yogurt, washing the fruit and veggies, making the quinoa, boiling the eggs…all those things that take time, or need some “baby-sitting” which would be a struggle to accomplish if I were working outside the home.
10. And rounding out my list for today: I am not NEARLY as hungry as I was at the beginning…which, I assume, was part of my body detoxing from my overt sugar addiction. Or just me over-eating.

So what are you thankful for this week?

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Ten Things of Thankful: Leaving the Almost-13yo at Church Camp

OK..I have to be quick b/c well, I am uber late to the Ten Things of Thankful party.

I haven't been in weeks...maybe you have missed me and maybe you have not. Either way...I have missed you. Just taking a break and all that.

But today, after dropping off my almost-13yo at church camp for the week, I realized that the whole day made me pause and be thankful for so many things.

Waiting for his friend to arrive...isn't he so handsome? I might be biased, but probably not...

And like I said, because I am short on time, I shall (try to be) succinct.

Wish me luck.

I am thankful that: 

1. My older child will be 13 on Tuesday (yes, we are missing the chance to celebrate him on his actual birthday...but we celebrated before he went, lest you be concerned), and the testosterone is strong in that one. All this to say: we are a little thankful to have a break from that this week.
2. I didn’t get lost on the way there or the way back…which is kind of a big deal b/c I am directionally-challenged. And my ability to navigate it was without the assistance of Mr. AR…he usually asks me before I drive somewhere unfamiliar (or maybe even a familiar place…don’t judge) if I know where I’m going. And then he makes sure the route I am planning is the most expeditious. His brain is kind of full lately…but I’m choosing to believe he just had confidence in me.
3. It was daylight both directions.
4. And no deer jumped out in front of me and killed me and/or my child.
5. And the weather was absolutely PERFECT...but will be hot this week, so I am thankful that the boys have air-conditioning in their cabins. Not that I ever had A/C in my cabin at church camp...I think that's a little soft. But I don't blame them...I'd take air if I had it too. And at no extra charge...bonus.
6. And that when we arrived and we were waiting for my son’s friend to arrive, we saw a boy we know from home who attends our church. My son doesn’t know him well, but I think he will by the end of the week, as they were assigned to the same group. Fingers-crossed it’s the beginning of a friendship and not the opposite, b/c one never knows about these things and could always go the other way.
7. I could listen to my own music selection all the way there…I had hoped to chat with my son, but he had his phone and was listening to iTunes on his headphones. *sigh*…so I’m choosing to be positive…I listened to the music stylings of the 1980’s and he complained nary a bit (only b/c he could not hear it).
8. I had to take him by myself…I was not thankful for that. At the same time as the scheduled camp drop-off, there was (in the opposite direction from our house…of course) a party to celebrate my husband’s aunt and uncle’s 50^th wedding anniversary, and my husband’s cousin and his wife’s 25^th anniversary…and my husband took his mother b/c she can no longer drive (see, I told you he’s nice….yeah, my husband! He brings me trash and takes his mother places she wants to go...what a guy.) But while I was at the camp, my husband texted some pictures to me…of my 11yo son with a snake around his neck. Apparently they had a group come in like “Silly Safaris” to entertain the troops with various animals. Because what else says "long happy marriage" other than "snakes around the necks of the guests"?  Regardless, I am thankful that I missed that part. “Snakes! Why did it have to be snakes?!?” (reference anyone?)
   
   
9. The almost 13yo realized as we arrived at camp that he had neglected to bring his hair products…not shampoo. Supposedly he brought shampoo (I didn't check...some lessons are learned the hard way, boys and girls)…I am referring to STYLING products.  Whatever, Dude. I’m not sure why thtis is in this list; I am not at all excited about it b/c it means he is growing up and (dare I say it? Noticing girls?!?) …but when I told him that he needed to exercise self-control if, while at camp this week, he met the girl of his dreams. He responded with, “Mom, that’s just gross.” So I’m still not sure where we are on that whole thing. But I did not make sure he had hair products, so if the girls of his dreams is there, she’ll have to fall in love with a boy with stick-straight hair.
10. I can email the boy. And the camp will print it out and give it to him at mail call. Wahoo…I can email every day…multiple times a day even. And it won’t cost me a dime. Best part...double Wahoo! He will be thrilled too, I’m fairly sure.

Bonus: I didn’t cry…yet. The evening’s not over yet. I had feared the worst…like sobbing in the car most of the way home. Turns out the idea of leaving him was worse than the leaving. But I might cry when I go to bed b/c frankly this mama doesn’t do so great when all her chicks aren’t in the nest. I’m working on it…if I weren’t, he would not have gone to camp.

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Thankfuls of the Week...Foster Care Week #1

I won't even venture to make an introduction. And please excuse any typos you may see. I may or may not proof this bad boy.

Throwing caution to the wind I am.

And frankly I don't really haev time to be writing but I NEED to do this.

For those of you who may have missed my post on Thursday, we got a foster child placement this week. Our first placement since we were licensed last August. Two girls (sisters) ages 8 and 3.

We picked them up on Thursday afternoon.

This was not what we had anticipated.

We thought we wanted siblings up to age 4...the 8yo was NOT on the radar.

At all.

But we prayed that God would bring the children he wanted to be here, when he wanted them here.

And we trust him.

Ergo...we said "yes" to this placement.

So...what are my thankfuls?

1. Finally getting a call we could accept. And PLEASE do not "congratulate" us b/c a placement means that a family has been torn apart because of poor choices by at least one person. Hearts are broken into pieces and there is fear running rampant on the parts of these children. They are coping but still...they are children.

2. The girls were TERRIFIED of the dog. Like "screaming like wild banshees" terrified. But it is all good now. Except for the dog jumping on the 3yo's bed this morning when she was still asleep. That did not go over too well.

3. That at least one of the girls is going to sleep well and easily. We are continuing the work with the older one.

4. We have plenty of clothes and shoes and toys to last us for a while...most of which was given by generous friends and family.

5. They are pretty much rolling with our schedule and keeping pace with us.

6. My grocery bill was only about $5 more for the week, even with the addition of 2 more people. It remains to be seen if this will hold true for every week; I am venturing to guess it will not. And that we made it through Aldi with a screaming 3yo and I was able to ignore it. No one else in the store was, but I did! In fact, at the end of the trip as we rolled out the door, I threw my arms in the air and exclaimed, "I'm sure no one will notice when we leave!" and the approximate 20 people in line, as well as the cashiers, all laughed. That right there told me we were about as obvious going through the store as we could be.

7. That I confirmed that I can homeschool the 8yo for the remaining 6 weeks of school, instead of enrolling her in a school system in which she will be in the vast minority, and potentially adding to her stress and anxiety.

8. That they both came with braids in their hair, thus allowing me to delay the inevitable: figuring out how to do their hair.

9. And that a sweet friend who is a hairdresser said she would come and help me when the time comes for the braids to come out.

10. This funny made my day on Saturday: There was some momentary confusion at my 12yo's soccer game. The 8yo was asking who all the players were so I gave her a cheat sheet with the boys’ names and jersey numbers. 

She was greatly entertained, cheering for each boy when he made a good play (or a bad one…she’d never been to a soccer game before; and to be fair, the 3yo was yelling at the boys to use their hands.).

At one point, the 8yo asked about a player on the other team and I told her that I only knew the players on our team. She gave me a blank look, like she didn’t know what I meant.

Me: “Honey, there are two teams out there. Remember, we’re cheering for ‘name omitted to protect the innocent’; he’s on the black team.”

3yo: “He not black!”

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Ten Teeth of Thankful...With Revisions and Addendums

Please note: I originally posted this Tuesday but I am reposting (and revising) it for my "Ten Things of Thankful" post for Saturday...lest you be confused. I TRIED to include my revisions in RED...you know, to match the blood still on the teeth. 

And no, that's not a joke...I love a theme!

But I may have missed a few, so no need to go back and do a side-by-side comparison.

All that to say...if you read it on Tuesday, it is similar. But I am CERTAIN you'll find it worth a re-read.

______

So…I’m certain you knew about my 10yo having oral surgery. And the deed has finally been done. He had the surgery on Tuesday and all went well. We returned to the doctor on Friday for a follow-up, just to ensure that everything is kosher, but so far, so good.

But just in case you missed it, here’s the initial post of the whole to-do.

And here's the x-ray in case you just wanted to see it again:

X-Ray from November

Now that you are caught up, I shall fill all of you in on the delightful surgery to which we had to look forward to experiencing:

Ten Teeth were removed from his head on Tuesday.

Ten.

Six of them were casualties, if you will…baby teeth on the top which were pretty-much just hanging there (one had more root left than the others but mostly they were ready) and we decided to take them out while we could. He's never been a "Oh that tooth is slightly loose so let me wiggle, wiggle, wiggle it until it comes out"; he's more of "Yeah it'll come out when it is ready" kind of loose tooth kid. Which meant they could potentally be in there for weeks if not months.

And there is WAY too much work to be done in this tiny mouth to be waiting around for those teeth to fall out.

Patience isn't really my thing...have I mentioned that?

But, I am also cheap (you've possibly discerned that before about me?). And to have those upper teeth removed wasn't going to be cheap.

My frugality was over-riding my patience.

So...this brings me to my first item of thankful: the orthodontist wanted those out but we were ok with them staying in and coming out in their own sweet time...much as it pained me.

But we knew the oral surgeon (I actually babysat him and his sister a few times…yikes! How old AM I? and he attended our wedding, with his dad who was our dentist.) and he was SO gracious and took out those teeth FOR FREE. Oh yes…big money savings right there.

More thankfulness than I can even explain.

So that’s the story with the six teeth on the top.

The four baby teeth on the bottom which came out were ankylosed…which meant that not only did the roots not dissolve but they fused to the jawbone. Fun, right?

You can see from the pictures included that they have roots still...and a couple of them have quite a bit. And you can see where the bone was cut.

Words fail me.

Oh, and one last bit…don't forget about those two permanent teeth which were coming in at an angle…remember those? Well, they were exposed by cutting back the gum tissue. Then they were attached to a chain (at least that’s how I understood it…I can’t quite see very far in that tiny little mouth, especially since he can’t open it very far!) and next week those chains will be attached to the braces which were already put in place a couple weeks ago.

And because you were wondering…why yes, the back teeth on which the braces are attached…those back teeth are also ankylosed baby teeth. But there wasn’t any choice on what teeth to choose, so those teeth will come out (in another surgery) in about a year, or whenever those teeth straighten up and the permanent teeth have come in next to them and the braces can be attached to those instead.

All that to say…I am thankful that the next surgery won’t be nearly as extreme as this one…only two teeth. Which is good because he only has two baby teeth left.

But they will probably be about the size of the largest ones shown here:

I know you wanted a photo to show these roots at close range...I am a full-service blogger. You're welcome.

As an aside, he's already reminded the 12yo (several times in 24 hours, in fact) that he has fewer baby teeth than him; I believe the 12yo still has 4 or 5 baby teeth. As one might expect, such reminders are well-received by the 12yo. (Insert his eyerolls here.)

(He has since actually stopped the reminders...perhaps it was the threat of a punch to the face which caused the sudden and obvious cessation of said comment...)

We shall deal with the wisdom teeth if/when they decide to make an appearance. They’re not showing signs of themselves yet and possibly won’t. I didn’t know this (and you may not have known it either…if you did, bully for you) the doctor said it’s around age 12 at the earliest when wisdom teeth begin to develop.

So there’s THAT to wonder about/worry about/look forward to. Not that I am a worrier at all...why would I even say that?...

One other thing about the surgery...because of it, my 10yo couldn't play in his team's basketball tournament game on Tuesday night. To be honest, I had my doubts all along, but Mr. Always Random wanted me to ask the doctor.

Mr. AR was the coach of the team, so he was really hoping to have a full roster for this next game in the tournament. I don't blame him but still...a ten-tooth extraction is kind of a big deal.

Unfortunately, the doctor's answer was a big, fat "No." I mean, he was nice about it, but it was a firm answer. 

But we held out that maybe by Saturday he'd be ok to play in the championship game. And that would also be if the team held on to the make it to the championship game.

They did not. 

And I'm sure you're wondering where the thankful part comes in...it comes in that even after going to the surgeon for the check-up on Friday and we got a good report, he was instructed to continue to "lay off" physical activity until Monday, just to give the stitches a few more days. And especially those teeth in the front, which are still (understandibly) just a touch on the tender side.

So...I'm sure you figured it out, but that means he would not have even been able to play in the championship game. So I'm thankful that we didn't have to deal with that disappointment.

Yes, yes life is full of disappointments and all that, but I felt like the surgery was enough on the "trauma" end of the spectrum (although he did surprisingly well!), we didn't need to miss out on a championship game too.

Now…what you have ALL been waiting for…the entertaining parts of the day…and I am thankful for all of them:

When he came out of surgery, he (I was told) was humming “Frere Jacques”…which is the song my mom and I would sing to him when he was a baby. Even now, he wants me to sing it (again…he’s clearly tone deaf because I cannot sing on key to save my soul…and I’m so thankful my salvation does not require that) when he’s upset or scared.

But yesterday, the sweet boy hummed it to himself. That part isn’t entertaining so much as it was sweet.

______

When he came out of surgery he told the nurses they he had to go to the bathroom, so they came to get me to help him. (Good call on their part.)  

He felt pretty shaky; “I feel really weird” was actually what he kept saying, so the nurse brought a wheelchair for him. She got him into the bathroom and allowed me to “take over”.

I helped him stand up thinking he would take one tiny side-step over and then pee…with his back to me. No embarrassment needed for anyone.

But no…he turned around and sat down on the toilet. With his pants still pulled up.

Me: Dude, you are sitting down. Do you have to pee or poop?

10yo: Pee!

Me: But you’re sitting down?

10yo: Yes…(like I’m the dumb one)

I’m pretty sure he would have rolled his eyes if it would have been possible.

______

He kept asking me “What are you laughing at?” But the gauze stuffed in his mouth make it almost unintelligible, which only made me laugh more.

And then he started laughing but didn’t know why…which also made me laugh.

Which made him ask why I was laughing.

Ah...fun with anesthesia.

______

After the nurse finished giving me instructions on "wound care" and we were waiting to see the doctor, the nurse asked the 10yo if he wanted to see his teeth.

His reply with swagger: “Yeah I want to see my teeth!” (Translation: Yeah lady…you think I’m a freak? No way…I’m a cool dude who wants to see those teeth…hand them over!)

After taking a quick glance at the bag of teeth, he turned his head, clutched his stomach and said, “Oh no, no, no! I DON’T want to see my teeth!”

And then he burped. A sign of things to come.

______

Once we left the doctor’s office, he continually asked, “Where are we going?”

Me: We’re going to get your medicine and then to get a shake for you. You can’t take your medicine without eating a shake first.

Turn the car; stop the car; make any sort of movement.

10yo: Where are we going?

Me: We’re going to get your medicine and then to get a shake for you. You can’t take your medicine without eating a shake first.

(Repeat conversation as needed or approximately 300 more times)

______

We went to CVS first to drop off the script. They were going to be a little while so we went across the street to Burger King for a shake. Why Burger King, you may be asking…because it was close.

And even though Steak N' Shake was right next door, my boy isn’t a big fan of Steak N' Shake shakes.

Weirdo.

I asked him what flavor he wanted, and he said chocolate, which was actually no surprise.

But I figured I had better ask, just in case he all of a sudden wanted strawberry or something ridiculous like that.

Yeah, strawberry shakes ARE ridiculous. I said it.

In the meantime, the kiddo dropped back off the sleep.

So I placed the order and pulled up to the window to pay.  As I was handing my money to the cashier, I realize that he was looking past me and he shouted (yes, actually shouted), “Oh my GAWD! What happened?!?”

I turned to see my child had momentarily awakened; the stocking cap he never leaves home without had migrated to the floor of the car, leaving him with some CRAZY bed-head-type hair; there was a large bandage across his chin and traveling up his cheeks in an effort to keep him from opening his mouth too far and busting the stitches; and a fairly large piece of bloody gauze was hanging out of his mouth.

So clearly I could understand the need for the guy’s question, but since my child had not seen himself, he had no idea why this guy was asking.

Me (to the guy…with my eyes WIDE, so as the say “SHUT UP, IDIOT!”): Ummm he had some teeth pulled this morning. Like 10 of them…so, yeah.

Guy: “Oh my GAWD! “Oh my GAWD!”

Apparently he did not speak “mom eyes”.

I gave him my money and the next thing I knew, he sent another employee over to the window to gawk at my child and hand me the shake.

Really? This is Greenwood…but it can’t possibly be the first time you’ve seen this come through the drive-through.

In hindsight, I wish I had had the wherewithal to mess with the guy...turning to my son sand say "OH! What DID happen?"

That would have been funny. To me. My 10yo may or may not have even remembered it.

No worries...now I'll be ready when we go back to get those last two teeth removed. And yes, we WILL be returning to the Burger King.

______

Moving on, we drove BACK across the street to pick up the scripts.

10yo: Where are we going?

Me: We’re going to get your medicine.

When picking up the prescription at CVS, I, of course, went through the drive-through. No way was I taking my “happy little drunk” into the store and marching him all the way to the back to pick up the scripts.

Nor was I going to leave him alone in the car.

In hindsight, both of those decisions were sage in every way.

So, we pulled into the drive-through line and THANKFULLY someone had (previously) suggested I take an “urp bucket” in the car…and that I had heeded the advice.  Because the child belched probably the loudest burp I have ever heard come out of his tiny body and he said, “Ought oh!”

I scrambled for the bucket and shoved it under his chin; at the same time I glanced out the passenger side window in time to catch the eye of a guy sitting in his car in the lane next to us.

I can’t be sure, but I think I saw him heave a little bit when he saw my son start to “spew”.

It reminds of the quote from Wayne’s World “If you’re gonna spew, spew into this…” Fortunately I had more than a Dixie cup.

Just an aside: blood and bile do not make for appetizing vomit. I mean, what does, really…it was probably good that there wasn’t anything chunky in it.

Of course I started laughing at the absurdity of the situation, and I hear “Why are you laughing? What are you laughing at?”

And then in a moment of clear lucidity, he held out the bucket and asked, “Where are we going to dump this out?”

Me: Well, we’re going home so we’ll dump it out at home. Just put it down there in front of you on the floor…in case you need it again.

He handed it to me and I put it on the floor in front of him.

______

On the drive home from CVS, he, understandably, kept dropping off to sleep…only to reawaken a few seconds later.

Finally he told me “I’m not really tired, I just need to go to sleep.”

In case you were wondering, yes, I did receive permission for this photo to be included.
But he BEGGED me to show off the teeth (once his stomach settled and he could actually look at them.)

Days 1-5: check!
_______

Conversation the next day:
10yo: Mom, when we were at Burger King, did you get a cheeseburger for yourself?

I was surprised that he even remembered, but no, I didn't lie.

Me: Um...yes, I did, actually...
10yo: Well, why didn't you get one for me?
Me: Could you have eaten it?
10yo: No, but it was kind of rude of you to eat it in front of me...I love cheeseburgers.
Me: Did you actually even see me eat it?
10yo: No.
Me: Why do you think I bought it?
10yo: Because you were hungry.
Me: Yes, and did you want me taking care of you when I was hungry?
10yo: Ummm, no...

I have a confession. I am not the nicest person on the planet when my blood sugar gets low. On occasion, my children offer to bring me food. When I told him I was hungry, he knew it was best that I ate that burger and he should not say another word about it. No one wants Nurse Ratched when they can avoid her...

Hop on over to visit Lizzi and see what everyone else is thankful for this week!

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Ten Teeth of Thankfulness

Please note: I am posting this on Tuesday but it will also be my "Ten Things of Thankful" post for Saturday...lest you be confused. 

______

So…I’m certain you knew about my 10yo having oral surgery. And the deed has finally been done. He had the surgery yesterday and all went well. We will return to the doctor on Friday for a follow-up, and just to ensure that everything is kosher, but so far, so good.

But just in case you missed it, here’s the initial post of the whole to-do.

And here's the x-ray in case you just wanted to see it again:

X-Ray from November

Now that you are caught up, I shall fill all of you in on the delightful surgery to which we had to look forward to experiencing:

Ten Teeth were removed from his head yesterday.

Ten.

Six of them were casualties, if you will…baby teeth on the top which were pretty-much just hanging there (one had more root left than the others but mostly they were ready) and we decided to take them out while we could. He's never been a "Oh that tooth is slightly loose so let me wiggle, wiggle, wiggle it until it comes out"; he's more of "Yeah it'll come out when it is ready" kind of loose tooth kid. Which meant they could potentally be in there for weeks if not months.

And there is WAY too much work to be done in this tiny mouth to be waiting around for those teeth to fall out.

Patience isn't really my thing...have I mentioned that?

But, I am also cheap (you've possibly discerned that before about me?). And to have those upper teeth removed wasn't going to be cheap.

My frugality was over-riding my patience.

So...this brings me to my first item of thankful: the orthodontist wanted those out but we were ok with them staying in and coming out in their own sweet time...much as it pained me.

But we knew the oral surgeon (I actually babysat him and his sister a few times…yikes! How old AM I? and he attended our wedding, with his dad who was our dentist.) and he was SO gracious and took out those teeth FOR FREE. Oh yes…big money savings right there.

More thankfulness than I can even explain.

So that’s the story with the six teeth on the top.

The four baby teeth on the bottom which came out were ankylosed…which meant that not only did the roots not dissolve but they fused to the jawbone. Fun, right?

You can see from the pictures included that they have roots still...and a couple of them have quite a bit. And you can see where the bone was cut.

Words fail me.

Oh, and one last bit…don't forget about those two permanent teeth which were coming in at an angle…remember those? Well, they were exposed by cutting back the gum tissue. Then they were attached to a chain (at least that’s how I understood it…I can’t quite see very far in that tiny little mouth, especially since he can’t open it very far!) and next week those chains will be attached to the braces which were already put in place a couple weeks ago.

And because you were wondering…why yes, the back teeth on which the braces are attached…those back teeth are also ankylosed baby teeth. But there wasn’t any choice on what teeth to choose, so those teeth will come out (in another surgery) in about a year, or whenever those teeth straighten up and the permanent teeth have come in next to them and the braces can be attached to those instead.

All that to say…I am thankful that the next surgery won’t be nearly as extreme as this one…only two teeth. Which is good because he only has two baby teeth left.

But they will probably be about the size of the largest ones shown here:

I know you wanted a photo to show these roots at close range...I am a full-service blogger.

As an aside, he's already reminded the 12yo (several times in 24 hours, in fact) that he has fewer baby teeth than him; I believe the 12yo still has 4 or 5 baby teeth. As one might expect, such reminders are well-received by the 12yo. (Insert his eyerolls here.)

We shall deal with the wisdom teeth if/when they decide to make an appearance. They’re not showing signs of themselves yet and possibly won’t. I didn’t know this (and you may not have known it either…if you did, bully for you) the doctor said it’s around age 12 at the earliest when wisdom teeth begin to develop.

So there’s THAT to wonder about/worry about/look forward to.

Now…what you have ALL been waiting for…the entertaining parts of the day…and I am thankful for all of them:

When he came out of surgery, he (I was told) was humming “Frere Jacques”…which is the song my mom and I would sing to him when he was a baby. Even now, he wants me to sing it (again…he’s clearly tone deaf because I cannot sing on key to save my soul…and I’m so thankful my salvation does not require that) when he’s upset or scared.

But yesterday, the sweet boy hummed it to himself. That part isn’t entertaining so much as it was sweet.

______

When he came out of surgery he told the nurses they he had to go to the bathroom, so they came to get me to help him. (Good call on their part.)  

He felt pretty shaky; “I feel really weird” was actually what he kept saying, so the nurse brought a wheelchair for him. She got him into the bathroom and allowed me to “take over”.

I helped him stand up thinking he would take one tiny side-step over and then pee…with his back to me. No embarrassment needed for anyone.

But no…he turned around and sat down on the toilet. With his pants still pulled up.

Me: Dude, you are sitting down. Do you have to pee or poop?

10yo: Pee!

Me: But you’re sitting down?

10yo: Yes…(like I’m the dumb one)

I’m pretty sure he would have rolled his eyes if it would have been possible.

______

He kept asking me “What are you laughing at?” But the gauze stuffed in his mouth make it almost unintelligible, which only made me laugh more.

And then he started laughing but didn’t know why…which also made me laugh.

Which made him ask why I was laughing.

Ah...fun with anesthesia.

______

After the nurse finished giving me instructions on "wound care" and we were waiting to see the doctor, the nurse asked the 10yo if he wanted to see his teeth.

His reply with swagger: “Yeah I want to see my teeth!” (Translation: Yeah lady…you think I’m a freak? No way…I’m a cool dude who wants to see those teeth…hand them over!)

After taking a quick glance at the bag of teeth, he turned his head, clutched his stomach and said, “Oh no, no, no! I DON’T want to see my teeth!”

And then he burped. A sign of things to come.

______

Once we left the doctor’s office, he continually asked, “Where are we going?”

Me: We’re going to get your medicine and then to get a shake for you. You can’t take your medicine without eating a shake first.

Turn the car

10yo: Where are we going?

Me: We’re going to get your medicine and then to get a shake for you. You can’t take your medicine without eating a shake first.

(Repeat conversation as needed or approximately 300 more times)

______

We went to CVS first to drop off the script. They were going to be a little while so we went across the street to Burger King for a shake. Why Burger King, you may be asking…because it was close.

And even though Steak N' Shake was right next door, my boy isn’t a big fan of Steak N' Shake shakes.

Weirdo.

I asked him what flavor he wanted, and he said chocolate, which was actually no surprise.

But I figured I had better ask, just in case he all of a sudden wanted strawberry or something ridiculous like that.

Yeah, strawberry shakes ARE ridiculous. I said it.

In the meantime, the kiddo dropped back off the sleep.

So I placed the order and pulled up to the window to pay.  As I was handing my money to the cashier, I realize that he was looking past me and he shouted (yes, actually shouted), “Oh my GAWD! What happened?!?”

I turned to see my child had momentarily awakened; the stocking cap he never leaves home without had migrated to the floor of the car, leaving him with some CRAZY bed-head-type hair; there was a large bandage across his chin and traveling up his cheeks in an effort to keep him from opening his mouth too far and busting the stitches; and a fairly large piece of bloody gauze was hanging out of his mouth.

So clearly I could understand the need for the guy’s question, but since my child had not seen himself, he had no idea why this guy was asking.

Me (to the guy…with my eyes WIDE, so as the say “SHUT UP, IDIOT!”): Ummm he had some teeth pulled this morning. Like 10 of them…so, yeah.

Guy: “Oh my GAWD! “Oh my GAWD!”

Apparently he did not speak “mom eyes”.

I gave him my money and the next thing I knew, he sent another employee over to the window to gawk at my child and hand me the shake.

Really? This is Greenwood…but it can’t possibly be the first time you’ve seen this come through the drive-through.

______

Moving on, we drove BACK across the street to pick up the scripts.

10yo: Where are we going?

Me: We’re going to get your medicine.

When picking up the prescription at CVS, I, of course, went through the drive-through. No way was I taking my “happy little drunk” into the store and marching him all the way to the back to pick up the scripts.

Nor was I going to leave him alone in the car.

In hindsight, both of those decisions were sage in every way.

So, we pulled into the drive-through line and THANKFULLY someone had (previously) suggested I take an “urp bucket” in the car…and that I had heeded the advice.  Because the child belched probably the loudest burp I have ever heard come out of his tiny body and he said, “Ought oh!”

I scrambled for the bucket and shoved it under his chin; at the same time I glanced out the passenger side window in time to catch the eye of a guy sitting in his car in the lane next to us.

I can’t be sure, but I think I saw him heave a little bit when he saw my son start to “spew”.

It reminds of the quote from Wayne’s World “If you’re gonna spew, spew into this…” Fortunately I had more than a Dixie cup.

Just an aside: blood and bile do not make for appetizing vomit. I mean, what does, really…it was probably good that there wasn’t anything chunky in it.

Of course I started laughing at the absurdity of the situation, and I hear “Why are you laughing? What are you laughing at?”

And then in a moment of clear lucidity, he held out the bucket and asked, “Where are we going to dump this out?”

Me: Well, we’re going home so we’ll dump it out at home. Just put it down there in front of you on the floor…in case you need it again.

He handed it to me and I put it on the floor in front of him.

______

On the drive home from CVS, he, understandably, kept dropping off to sleep…only to reawaken a few seconds later.

Finally he told me “I’m not really tired, I just need to go to sleep.”

In case you were wondering, yes, I did receive permission for this photo to be included.
But he BEGGED me to show off the teeth (once his stomach settled and he could actually look at them.)

Day 1: check!

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Ten Things of Thankful: Week 36

Well, without intentionally diving straight into the list, I am going to. 

• I have to say that the high point this week was the higher temperatures. And by higher I mean one day it was about 60 and two days it was in the 50’s and some of the snow (in fact a lot of the snow) melted. But of course we still have a massive pile in our front yard because we live at the end of a long court, where the snow plow shoves all the snow. We will still have a pile of snow there in May. And it won’t be the first time that has happened.
• But I can see a bunch of grass…sure it’s yellow and hideous but I’ll take it!
• I am thankful for the rain! I love rain and I love thunderstorms…mostly because they usually mean Spring. I love Spring…I am SO ready for Spring. But we all are so this isn’t really anything ground-breaking which I am writing. Moving on.

Speaking of storms, Indy was thrilled to hangout in the guest bathroom with us on Thursday night when the storm sirens were going off...

Here's another...he's looking less "hill-jack" and dare I say "cuter" in this one...

• Since I already dove right in about the weather (quite frankly, I couldn’t contain myself!) I shall just keep going with my non-numbered list. I am thankful that I finished my/our taxes.
• And I am thankful that we are getting a refund from both federal and state. Yes, yes I know you don’t really want to get money back because it means that the government was able to use my money, interest-free, and is just now returning it to me. But I am still happy.
• I am also thankful that I did not end up leaving my children outside for the gypsies (no offense to any gypsies who may be reading this) even though they might have deserved it. We had a rough start to the week, let me just say. But I think the warmer temps (and time for the PBA to play outside) helped everyone’s attitude immensely. Phew!
• I am thankful for a new book from a sweet friend! If you have never heard of Tricia Lott Williford, you are missing out on something fabulous. I have been reading her blog for about a year and a half, thanks to the recommendation from my friend PA, and I am addicted. She is an amazing writer. And she just published her first book. It is glorious, and lovely and (at times) funny, at other times gut-wrenching, and always well-written. My favorite quote thus far: "Turns out, on a shaky and uncertain day, there is humor and comfort in the rules of punctuation. I always suspected that could be true." ~ Tricia Lott Williford, "And Life Comes Back". Get this book and read it. Available everywhere books are sold. (And no, I make no money from the sale of this book...just to clarify.)
• I am thankful for my belated Valentine’s Day M&M’s (50% off at the CVS!)…and God-bless Mr. Always Random who had some difficulty tracking any down. But he was tenacious (mostly because he knew he had to be) and was successful in finding not ONE but TWO bags of M&M’s.
• I am thankful for Free M&M’s. Also from CVS. They had a special offer of buy an individual package of either Mega M&M’s or Birthday Cake M&M’s (they were each 75 cents) and then you got ExtraBucks for 75 cents. For those of you who are coupon and/or math-impared, that makes them (basically) free. At least for me, because they know I’ll be back and will easily spend that 75 cents.

They did taste like birthday cake...but original are still my favorite...in case anyone out there would like to make note of that for future reference...

• I am thankful that I can check Spam off my bucket list. Well, I wouldn’t say that…mostly I was happy/thrilled/surprised that I could put together a new recipe which included Spam. And it was T.A.S.T.Y. Don't believe me? Try it for yourself. I've thrown down the gauntlet...what will you do with it?
• I know I have mentioned this upcoming "event" before but we are finally at the threshhold. I am thankful that my 10yo’s surgery is happening on Monday…not because I want him to need surgery (I'm certain you understood...but just in case not, I felt compelled to clarify) but because I won’t have to wait any longer for it to take place. And neither will he. Or will anyone else who has been anticipating it. If you are so inclined, please pray for him on Monday morning as he is having 10 teeth removed. Yes…I typed that correctly and you read that right: 10. One-zero.  And prayers for the doctor as well. And maybe one for me, as I wait for him to come out of anesthesia, especially. Thanks in advance. (More on this later…the reasons and such.)

That’s about it…hop on over to see what other things of thanksgiving are listed this week!

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Ten Things of Thankful: Week 35

Ah, another Valentine’s Day put to bed. Honestly it’s not so much my thing…but most Hallmark Holidays are not: Valentine’s Day, Mother’s & Father’s Day…I just don’t get into them. I think it may stem from the fact that I love to give gifts, but I don’t like to feel compelled or obligated to give one. I want to give it because I want to give it; I don’t want to give it because Hallmark and their sappy commercials tell me I should.

Yes, I am very Bah-Humbug when it comes to Valentine’s Day. I don’t mean to be. It’s a nice sentiment, I suppose, but not one I feel compelled to go over-board with.

But regardless of all this unnecessary rambling, this was “Valentine’s Week”. And we did get a little bit of celebrating in and it was just lovely…not overboard at all. So with that, I give you my list of Valentine Week Thankfuls (some of which had absolutely nothing to do with Valentine’s Day…we can all be thankful for that).

• I am thankful for a FAB-U-LOUS Cookie Cake from my parents for Valentine’s Day. I would have included a picture but it was kind of devoured before I could get out my phone. (OK, actually I forgot…what kind of blogger am I?!?) My mom dropped it off one day when we weren’t home and so when I saw it on the counter, I (of course) told the PBA that it was all for me. They believed me for about 5 seconds. Regardless of the fact that I have to share with the PBA and Mr. Always Random , I was still very thankful to have it. Who wouldn’t love a chocolate chip cookie loaded with icing? (OK, lots of people, I’m sure, but not really ones I know and associate with…)
• And I was thankful that I could still fool the PBA, even if it only last for about 5 seconds…at this point I’ll take what I can get.
• I am thankful for a Foodie Friday post which included a nice new brownie recipe (which is more like a cake then a brownie, but the creator calls it a brownie cake, so I shall follow suit.) This is the brownie recipe to which I referred last Saturday, for those of you who are keeping score at home.
• I am thankful for a date with my husband (and 4 other couples, well actually there were two singles and 4 couples total…and no, this was not some weird Valentine's tradition…it was a high school ministry leader retreat which also happened to be on Valentine’s Day which is why spouses were invited to come with…Mr. AR is the HS ministry person and I am the ph-so-supportive spouse.)
• And that we got dinner and a night in a hotel and breakfast all paid for.
• And the PBA got to spend the night with my parents.
• And they went to the Indiana Medical History Museum (about which I am somewhat jealous b/c I have been wanting to take the PBA but I couldn’t ever find time/make time to go. And since my parents wanted to take the boys somewhere I let them take them there). As an aside, they said it was great so if you’re ever in the area, it comes recommended. (And I included a few photos courtesy of my dad, just in case you weren't feeling so inspired as to click on the link to their website.)

• And my parents took the Indy-dog too…to their house for the overnight…not the museum. Sorry…I got a touch out of order there. He had a lovely time and made himself at home as soon as he arrived…immediately circling around and pooping on their basement floor. Lovely…he really endears himself to people.
• I am thankful that the hotel room was reasonably clean. I HATE hotels.
• And that when we got home, one of our neighbors had cleared our drive-way for us; we were predicted to get 1 inch but we got 5.5 inches yesterday afternoon and evening. And for those of you keeping score at home, that’s 50.5 inches so far this year. It’s the second-snowiest winter on record for us. And we only need one more inch (which  we are supposed to get tonight) which will put us over the edge.
• Sorry…that was a little tangent about the snow which I am sick of. But the new snow does make everything look all nice a clean again. It’s “glitter snow” as my 10yo called it.
• I am thankful for more story assignments…one for March (already completed and turned in), one for April, one for May and one for June. I am over-the-moon.
• I am thankful that sometimes I see glimpses of actual learning going on in out house. In quizzing the 10yo on etymology this week, he only missed 9…and several of those he could give me an example of a word which used the stem but not the meaning; I’m stringent on my etymology grading, let me just tell you. And yes, 9 sounds like a lot…but I have to tell you that this was after week 24. And they get 6 new etymology stems each week. You do the math. Ok…because I am a full-service blogger I will tell you (after I get out my calculator…don’t judge). That’s a total of 144 stems. And he only missed 9. I was impressed. And thankful that something.is.sticking.

Hop on over to see what everyone else is thankful for this week!

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Ten Things of Thankful: Week 34

I have no intro as I am trying to get this posted before I go…the week-end is too full to waste time on an intro:

I am…

• Thankful that I got to go in and sub at the preschool a couple times this week…I love getting paid in hugs. And the bit of money in my pocket is ok too.
• Thankful that I got to squeeze in a meeting on Tuesday which should have happened on Wednesday but was probably going to not happen due to snow on Tuesday night.
• Thankful that my 12yo has been able to regain better use of his lazy eye. We had been having to patch his good eye (again!) because he’d lost some of the progress we’d made on his lazy eye. We’ve only been doing it for a couple months and he’s back to 20/25. Originally (when he was 5) was at 20/800 (so clearly we’ve made a lot of progress) and I had no clue. I’m such a good mommy.
• My 10yo got the first part of his braces on…and it went without a hitch. Ask me about the surgery he’s scheduled for in 3 weeks. Go on ask me. Well, I’m not going to tell you about it here because I’m not thankful for it. I’ll post about it when it’s over. And maybe right before. We’ll see how I’m feeling.
• I didn’t have to go out in the snow on Tuesday night (or Wednesday day).
• Thankful for my parents in so many ways…my mom kept the PBA and took the 12yo to his eye doctor appointment. This was while my dad took care of my computer issues (on two different occasions this week)…I don’t know what I did to it but it wasn’t behaving. iTunes was giving me trouble (I don’t have a Mac…hence the issue, basically)…hint, hint dad! ;)
• I found a lovely new brownie recipe.  I am not posting it here because I am a big tease. But I will post it on Friday for Foodie Friday (I love a theme!)…so you have to come back.
• My steam mop kind of hit a snag. It was the low point on an already frustrating day. I shall not delve into it. Much as I would like to tell all of you how a mountain of tiny things piled up to make me really crabby, I shall decline. BUT wait! I do have a praise from it. Last night I was at Target to gather recon on average prices for such gadgets and I saw an item which I already had in my home. I shall fill you in: When my MIL moved from her house (in which she had laminate flooring in her kitchen) about a year and a half ago, she no longer needed her Rubbermaid Spray Mop (made for laminate and hardwood floors no less). It seemed superfluous at the time but we kept it. As I stood there in Target, I realized that I did not need to spend any money and that I had a way to clean my floors still. I am still going to trouble-shoot the steam mop but for now I have something on which I can limp by. All kinds of thankful…can you tell? It’s the longest paragraph in here.
• Today I am going to a “symposium” for middle school homeschool moms (yes, all kinds of mis-placed modifiers in there…I am not in middle school but my kids are…I’m sure you understand but I just had to clarify for my own sanity.) Anyway…it is being hosted by a mom in my co-op who has high-schoolers and is going to help those of us who are approaching the “kids being in high school years” kind of help navigate it. In case you didn’t know, homeschooling in high school is a daunting task to consider. So I am thankful for any help she can give.
• And then coffee afterwards with a new friend. And dinner tonight with “older” friends (No, PA, I didn’t call you old…but if you took it that way, so be it…)

Hop on over to see all the other thankfuls for the week!

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Ten Things of Thankful: Week 33 and Still NOT Thankful for Cold Weather

So…thank you first of all for taking the time to read this. I am well-aware that most of you only read me at the Hop on the week-ends and I totally get that. I am the same way. Much as I would love to read lots of blogs there just isn’t time to read all of you, regardless (notice I did not say “irregardless” because that is not a word…irregardless of how often people use it. Still Not.a.word.) of how wonderful you are.

All that rambling to say…thank for reading it at all.

And for those of you who read my blog with my frequency than that, thank you for that as well. I have been fairly quiet these past two weeks so I appreciate your patience with me. I can’t guarantee when I’ll be back to writing more regularly (please, stop the crying…I know your heart is breaking, but I just can't handle it) but I’m sure it will be at some point.

I find it difficult to write when the PBA don’t give me good material. I hold them responsible for my dry period.

Surely it isn’t me.

With that, I did want to share my list of Thanksfuls for the week. Because even though I wasn’t writing anything (ok actually I’ll be honest…I did do some writing, but it was junk. Absolute rubbish. So no one else gets to read it.) and I am NOT thankful in the slightest about that, there were some things for which I was thankful this week.

• I am thankful for bedtime cuddles with both boys, but especially with the 10yo. My little tone-deaf child still asks me to sing to him and rub his hair before he goes to sleep.  I can still pretend he’s little. Well, technically he IS little but only in size. NOT bravado.  But I digress.
• I am thankful that on Monday evening, my 12yo was supposed to have a make-up basketball game. But because of the cold temperatures, the schools canceled all of the evening activities. And yes, you guessed it, his game was scheduled at one of the schools. This gave us an unhampered evening with nothing going. Now that means the game will be rescheduled (maybe…it’s getting a little late in the season for reschedules), but I don’t have to think about that right now.
• I am thankful that the PBA can keep on going with school in spite of closing and delays; fortunately they don’t really ask for snow days anymore, especially since I told them “you’ll be smarter than those public school kids”. I don’t know that that is true in any way, but hey, if it motivates them, then I am ALL IN.
• OK, this is a convoluted thankfulness item so stick with me. On Monday, both boys got in trouble (I won’t go into details but let me simply remind you that they are 20 months apart, highly-competitive and we are swimming in a sea of testosterone over here. Fortunately nothing was broken.  I’ll leave the rest to your imagination.) As a result, they were “grounded” from TV and video games. So as a result, they realized on Monday afternoon that they could get some of Tuesday’s work done. And not only did they get “some” of it done…they did it all. Which meant on Tuesday, they did Wednesday’s work…and so on down the line. Which mean that by Friday, they had the day off, Which meant I also had the day off.  So…I am thankful to have had a day off, AND that they finally did what I had been trying to get them to do all along…work ahead and have an “easy” Friday! (See, this is really two items in one...please make a note of it.)
• I am thankful for music appreciation which allows a food to pair naturally with it: Blondie with Blondies. They were tasty, I must say. (I’ll post the recipe later.)
• I am thankful for the outcome of the frozen pipes in the master bath. On Tuesday morning, my husband woke up and went in to take a shower, only to discover that  his sink, the shower and the toilet in the master bath were frozen. (Mind you this is on the heels of LAST week and the new water heater!) Yes, that’s right…frozen. We had two space heaters and my parents brought one over (thankful for that). And after running all three of them were going for a while (probably 2-3 hours total) everything was back in business. And nothing appears to have ruptured. Phew!
• I am thankful for a dog to snuggle with while I sit and read. (Please don’t tell Indy I said this…he’s cocky enough as it is.)
• I am thankful that I finished reading “Olive Kitteridge”…not yet sure how I feel about it.
• I am NOT thankful for the cold weather. Or for the freezing rain and snow which is coming tonight. Or the 6-10 inches of snow we are predicted to get on Tuesday. BUT I am thankful to have a warm shelter. And plenty of food.
• I will be more thankful for spring than ever before…not so much for the warm temperatures but perhaps that other people (myself included) can find things other than the cold weather to talk about.
• Lastly, I am thankful for the basketball game my 12yo played on Thursday night…he was able to get the monkey off his basketball back by scoring his first basket in a game (it’s his first year to play basketball…have I mentioned that?) so it was a relief for him. HOPING he can relax now and just enjoy playing the games.

Well, I think that’s probably 10, don’t you guess? No need to count…just trust me. I've never lied to you yet. Yet.

And hop on over to see what other thankfulness has been shared!

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