Suspense

I have decided the thing I miss most about being a kid during the holidays is the suspense.

Every day in December seemed to drag on and on forever. Paper chains and little cardboard boxes of chocolates slowly tracked the days until Christmas morning.

My stomach tied up in knots and little butterflies danced around in anticipation for Christmas day.

My brothers and I were not the type to stay out of the Christmas present stash. The beginning of every holiday season meant the hunt was on. Under the stairs, in the trunk of the car, the far reaches of the closet, down under the bed. No nook or cranny was safe. My mom finally surrendered to our never-ending noisiness and invested in a lock and key.

With stealth that even James Bond would admire my little brother managed to lift the key and ride to the store on his bike, get a copy, and return it to my mom’s purse.

She never knew.

Okay, well she probably knew. Moms always know. However, she pretended not to know.

No matter how much we snooped each year she managed a surprise or two. All of that suspense and wonder tied up into the magical month of December.

Parents work hard to produce all that magic.

There and Back

Home!

I am home. After a quick trip there and back. We are home. All though I can't complain that much about the there. Because the there was in California with the grand pa pa's and grand ma ma's.

I'm sorry no matter how old you get there is nothing like a hug from mom and dad that puts the world to right. They are the very first ones we ran to with our scraped knees and alligator tears and no matter how old I get it just doesn't seem right not to run to them when life reaches the boiling point.

I read this quote today and thought it expressed my point exactly.

"Home is the place you grow up wanting to leave and grow old wanting to get back to"

John Ed Pearce

So with December 1st upon us I am resurrecting theSwimmom question and asking a question.

Hu Hu Humm. . . .

What do you miss most about being a kid during the holidays?

I am going to think about this myself for a little bit and get back to you. The one thing I know for sure the holidays are way different as an adult and it just makes me wonder why I spent all that time hurryin to grow up.

Little Christmas Spirit

Dentist and Angels

Sooo. . .

How did it go yesterday? Did you come across an angel or two?

I actually came across one yesterday.

The kids had their six month checkup at the dentist. First of all let me tell you that I hate the dentist. I have some deep seeded squirmy fears about the dentist that rears its head whenever you even say the word dentist.

I'm pretty religious about taking the kids because I know I should and as much as I hate it I put on a brave face and we go every six months.

I do like the dentist office that I take the kids to. It is one of the reasons I can endure these six month checkup. Usually after the x-rays are done 4 different hygienist take the kids and within an hour four kids are done and out of the the office.

Yesterday Al was the first one done with her cleaning.

She jumped out of the seat and said, "Lets go."

"We can't the dentist has to come give the final look over."

"I know I hate that part, lets go now."

"No, we have to stay and see if you have any cavities."

"I don't lets go."

"Al, your being silly we have to wait for the dentist."

At which time she became a champion pouter. I kind of thought that was funny did she really think we were going to leave? Well soon the dentist came in and looked through the kids teeth. Our normal dentist was out and he was a sub dentist.

Child #1, All clear. Child #2 All clear. Child #3 (A. who one day I will list the amount of money I have spent on his 11 year old mouth and you will pass out from shock.) All clear? Holly Cow this may turn out to be the best day at the dentist ever.

Child #4 Al. Dentist takes a quick look around. "We got some wiggley teeth in here Young Lady you need to get to wiggling."

Okay, you all have read about our tooth drama and you and I both know that there is not going to be any wiggling. But I smile and try to figure out if the kids new insurance, starting next month, covers pulling teeth. Big Sigh, I hate the dentist.

Then he says, "Oh, oh mom. (Can I cry I hate oh, oh mom) "Can you come look at this." I get up and come over and he says, "Look at this tooth that is trying to come in." Okay "The tooth can't come in because she hasn't wiggled the other tooth out." "Young Lady, can you promise me that you will get this tooth wiggled out by the end of the week or else we are going to have to pull it out."

Al says, "I'm not going to wiggle it out you can pull it out."

I say, "She isn't going to wiggle it out you are going to have to pull it out."

The dentist says, "Really, most kids hate that."

He and the nurse quickly grab a little tool and a little orajel. I smile as he explains to Al that they are not going to numb the tooth. I am actually smiling from ear to ear because they aren't going to make this cushy for her. No laughing gas. No numbing just a straight up yank the tooth out.

Which he didn't charge me for.

Seriously, he made it a little miserable for her (Note when I say a little miserable I mean he didn't the normal way the tooth was hanging there it was simply hanging there and she wouldn't touch it) so that maybe she will wiggle the last two teeth out. Please, please, please. And he didn't charge me.



Maybe I might like the dentist office after all. This cute little man didn't know about all of our drama. He had no reason to pull the tooth for me and he certainly didn't have to do it for free. I never thought the day would come that I would call a dentist an angel but it has. I told you they are everywhere.

Prayers and Hugs

Krissi