Drama Drama Drama

Okay. So I had a filling come out of a tooth....over a year ago. Understand, now, that I am a W-I-M-P when it comes to dentistry, and will wait as long as humanly possible before I succumb to a dentist office....even if there is pain in the tooth....even if I need to eat all food on one side of my mouth...even if it means no cold/hot foods. Given this background, you can see why I waited so long to have the tooth looked at. (that, and I have no dental insurance...and the doc is going to make his Hummer payment off my visit).
The appointment was yesterday at 3 p.m. I got there and completed the paperwork and waited in the waiting room for the calling of my name and the torture to begin. Now....how come when you WANT to see a doctor you have to wait for EVER in the waiting room (getting mad at the lady who came in after you and got called before you) but when you are dreading the call, it comes in moments? The nurse took me back to the OPEN room (the are all open and connected to each other....which means the poor other clients in there will hear my muffled screams) and went over my paperwork. She saw the fact that I wrote, in detail, how terrified I am of the dentist and how long it had been since I had been to the dentist (many years) and why it had been so long (fear, pain, agony). I think she got a kick out of talking to me about my previous dental torture experience, but nonetheless, she was kind enough to pass this along to the doc. Speak of the devil, in he came. Nice guy...younger (uumm....HOW many times have you done this?!)...wife, 2 kids (he is distracting me now...)...went to school in Texas...his mothers maiden name (okay, not that bad....but you get the idea). He shows me my xrays and tells me the cavity is VERY close to my nerve and he will just have to see how it goes when he is "in there". Great. He discussed my extreme fear of dental work and assures me he will be gentle and slow with the whole procedure. He gives me a hand signal to do if I am in pain and want him to stop the drilling. "Hand signal?" I say, quite sarcastically. "I just plan to slap you if it hurts". Nervous laugh (on his part)...he knows I am not kidding.
Time for the shots. Oh...I want the drugs, but not the shots! He tells me to take slow deep breaths while he gives the shots and I will be fine. Slow, deep breaths? Ya mean like labor? Okay! I can do that! As I look back now, I can see/hear the dental assistant laughing....why? I wonder? Maybe because while he was doing the shots I had my eyes closed (labor like) and was belly breathing like a maniac. It was probably loud, to. Great. Now they REALLY think I am a nut case. When he is done with the shots and I am beginning to get a little more comfortable, the assistant decides it is time to wash out the tooth to "prep" it for the filling. Cold water rushes into my cavernous tooth....right onto that nerve that is exposed by the cavity. Enter, my first scream. Poor lady about jumps out of her chair. The doc says, "Ummmm, perhaps we should let that stuff sit a minute till you are more numb". Yeah. DUH.
5 minutes later, after I have had plenty of time to rehearse the worst case scenario in vivid detail, they return to start the procedure. Things are pretty calm throughout...except for the fact that I did bite him at one point... he does not hit the nerve with the drill (my greatest fear, really) and he fills the tooth with relative ease. He must have done this before, I observe.
Interesting side note.....why do dentists TALK to you and ask questions, as if you can respond? Any attempt to respond on my part sounded much like, "Hkjfiu jhefoiwer jkrwtoqiqopif" and included a lot of spit.
Anyway.....
It is over. I am still alive and well (sort of...) and I actually THANK him for his time/expertise (am I insane? well, yes, that has been previously demonstrated). I make some lame comment about the most painful part of the whole thing is now upon me....paying for it...and he again does the nervous laugh...like I am going to exit without leaving his Hummer payment. I DO pay and leave with an entire half of my face completely numb and...hanging in a weird way. Lack of muscle tone REALLY is freaky.
Fast forward a few hours. I have laid on the couch for the remainder of the day, being waited on hand and foot (and mouth) by my darling hubby and sweet boys (who kept asking, "Mom, what is WRONG with you?"). Around 8 pm (after American Idol, of course) I drag myself off the couch so I can make a brief appearance at my friend Tiff's house for a jewelry party. I warn her that I am STILL completely numb and talking...funny... but she assures me I am fine and should still come (I think she was hoping the drugs have interfered with my will power and I will purchase many many things from her). I drive to her home and meet several other ladies there. I do explain that there is a reason I can only smile with half my face and cannot pronounce words with any sort of clarity....and I also begin to wonder just how much drug that doc put in the shots....for now it is 9 pm and my lip still feels like it is hanging on the floor. I look at the beautiful, expensive jewelry...decide that after making a Hummer payment today I cannot afford anything...and spot a beautiful little newborn baby girl that I must hold. (I am also having baby fever, so any tiny baby gets my attention). She is 3 weeks old and named Noel. Her mom gladly and generously allows me to hold her so she can shop the jewelry. I am talking and laughing with Noel's mom, looking like a dork but having a good time...when I realize that I am parched and must have some water. After taking a swig I pull the cup away from my lips...and basically drool/spit all over this tiny, innocent newborn baby. With her mom looking right at me. And the rest of the ladies looking right at me. With the hostess looking right at me spitting on this baby and it dribbling down onto her floor. Oh....the mortification that I endure. The humiliation I suffer. The word embarrassment just does not do this moment justice. It is a moment that should live forever in the sands of time...slowly replaying itself so the poor soul can relive the horror in slow motion.
Everyone is sweet..."it is okay" is whispered by the new mom. Thankfully it was her 2nd baby....had Noel been her first you can imagine what the poor child would have had to endure...being sterilized from head to toes, etc. I decide....it is SO time for me to go home.

Tarin

Seems like my little Tarin that I love is in the blog a lot. He just has such a sweet way about him, and he does the darndest things!!!

Today I was talking with Tarin about walking with the Lord. I went through this whole thing about true happiness (joy) and how to get that vs. temporary happiness that comes and goes. I explained that when we walk with the Lord and bring glory to Him we are truly happy because we are doing what God created us to do. This all took a good 5-7 minutes to explain....and after alllll that, he looks at me with those LARGE blue eyes and says,"But Mom, I cannot SEE where God is going! I try to walk with Him, but He is invisible!!!!!!"

Oh, my little Tarin. So honest. I love you! :)

Mother's Day

Today was a wonderful day. Not only because ALL the attention was on me...or because I didn't have to do much of anything...but just because we spent the day together and we all had a great time.
Josiah got up early (what time? I have no idea) and got breakfast and took care of the kids while I slept...and I did not even wake up till 8:45 a.m. Let me repeat that.... 8:45 A.M.!!!!! In fact, we were pretty late to church, but hey, it was SO nice! Anyway, breakfast was made and the boys were all dressed, so I got to get ready IN SILENCE! Wow, what a concept.
After church we ate lunch here at the house and then headed up to Vail. We wanted to ride the gondola, however, it is closed until the end of May. We still got to walk around Vail and go in some really cute....and quite expensive...shops. Vail is very beautiful...cobblestone streets, boutiques...a river running through town. Picturesque.
After Vail we just HAD to stop in Breckenridge (since it was technically...sorta...on the way home) and walk around. While there we decided that it was just to late to come home for diner :) so we went to the Blue River Bistro. (ummm, massive-yummy Italian cuisine) unfortunately, they were booked with reservations (sniff, sniff) so we went to the Breck Brewery. We all had a burger and fries and lots of artichoke dip. :)
All in all, it was a relaxing, fun day. Thanks to Josiah for taking up all the slack left by me taking the day off!!! And my roses....Gorgeous. :)
Oh...did I mention that I was in a store in Vail and saw the 50% off rack (yeah baby!) and noticed a beautiful scarf that would go well with my coat for next year....and looking at the price I began to laugh hysterically....on sale...for $448!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ha!!!












The boys and I by the river in Vail. Relaxing....




The boys....art imitating life.....




Notice they are hanging on a frog :)





Pres....stopping to smell the flowers.




The raging river of death!





They loved all the sculptures....especially the bears....





Another bear. This one is obviously perfect for riding on.





A covered bridge.




The boys on Friday. They decided to camp out on the trampoline....so they got out their sleeping bags and pillows and hung out on it all day. Literally! :)

Texas

Well, we survived. My mom, the boys and myself all arrived home in Colorado...In one piece...on Tuesday morning around 11 a.m. The trip, although exhausting, was WONDERFUL and well worth the effort! I am , in fact, planning another one soon :)

On the 30th the boys and I picked up Mom from the airport in Colorado Springs and headed south. We drove to Amarillo, Tx (about 5 1/2 hours) and spend the night. The next day we drove on to Ft Worth (another 5 1/2 hours) and arrived a bit after lunch at my Grandparents home. The boys immediately went insane...running amuck from all the pent up energy. But my Grandparents loved it and were very gracious! Two days later my dear friend Noelle and I drove to San Antonio for our Midwifery conference. We stayed at my friend Amy's home for 3 days while attending the conference. Noelle and I had a BLAST with Amy and her girls (Shannon and Emily) and cannot wait to see them again. The conference was also quite intriguing...and we met a lot of "famous" people (in the birth world!).
After the conference on Saturday afternoon Noelle and I drove back up to Ft Worth. My kids, again, went spastic when I got home and forgot that we have these things called rules and manners. It was....Interesting!!! The temptation to drive back down to San Antonio was immense, but I overcame it. Sunday we loaded up the kids and we all went o my cousin Judith Ann's home in Granbury. The kids got to swim in the pool and see all the aunts/uncles/cousins. The best part of that day was when they got in the water BEFORE we got on their swimsuits...and then got in the water AGAIN after we took off their swimsuits and put clean clothes on them. Funny. Yet again, my family was very gracious and just thought the boys were adorable. Okay! I'll send them down for a visit! Ha! :)
Monday morning we were on the road again. We drove to Raton, NM (about 9 hours) and spent the night and on Tuesday morning we drove home to Highlands Ranch.
All in all, it was a w wonderful trip! I enjoyed seeing the family and friends...and I enjoyed spending time with my mom in the van. Thanks for coming, Mom! Oh yeah....her flight left Wednesday morning at 6:30 a.m. from Colorado Springs, so her an Josiah left our house at 4:15 a.m. She is still recovering......









The evening we got to Ft Worth Pres fell asleep on the couch.




The boys about to zonk out that evening as well watching cartoons.






The next day we met Noelle and her mom, sister, brother and two girls at a Mexican restaurant. Here are Maggie and Presley.....Maggie is betrothed to Pres and will bear many grandbabies for Noelle and I :)






Here are all the kids...Maggie, Pres, Kell, Brennah, Ethan and Tarin.





Amy and Noelle the night we came into San Antonio....we, of course, HAD to hit Starbucks!!! Amy is 7 months pregnant with number 3.......doesn't she look great?! Yeah, I don't like her anymore....







Tiff, Barbara Harper and Noelle. Barbara talked to me 9 years ago when I was preg with Ethan and wanted a waterbirth (and everyone thought I was nuts). She was VERY sweet!!! She is the author of "Gentle Birth Choices" and a homebirth midwife for scores of years and thousands of births.







Noelle, Penny Simpkin and Tiff. Penny is a doula who has done thousands of births and spoke to use about difficult labor and prevention of such. She is a WONDERFUL woman and we greatly enjoyed meeting her.





Amy and Noelle relaxing as we watched a movie. Actually, we never really "watched" it, we just talked :)






Amy's girls....Shannon and Emily. They were SO SO sweet! You can even see Amy in the background....I know, she is hard to see....she is only 7 months pregnant! Gee wiz!!!






Noelle posing in front of our daily run....to the chocolate factory at the San Antonio Riverwalk.






Me here in with our chocolate. And I wonder why I gained weight on this stressful trip....?????






Noelle and I enjoying our treasured chocolate. Yummmmmmy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!






You may be asking yourself (and then again, you may not)..."What did the boys do while Tiff was in San Antonio learning about birth?


Well, my mom and Grandmom took them several fun places! The Zoo, the WildLife experience, and the Stockyards.




Here the boys saw the dinosaur and were scared! Ha!






This ostrich actually pecked on my van window!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!






"Ummmm.....what's in here?"






Funny story....a little off color.......that was your warning.
One of the boys (who shall remain nameless) saw this giraffe and exclaimed, "Hey guys, look! That giraffe has 3 pee-pees!!!!!!" In reality, it was a momma giraffe that was nursing a baby giraffe. My mom explained this to him and reassured him that giraffes do NOT have 3 pee-pees.

End of funny and slightly off-color story.





Zebras........





The petting farm....I hope y'all took your wipes! Yuck!!!!!!!!!










Okay. Yes, this is A REAL TEXAS LONGHORN.....and YES, that is my child sitting on it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!






This was the cattle drive....or should I say cow drive. A bit smaller than anticipated.






My Grandad taught the boys all about the brain!!!! How cool is that?! :)






My Grandaddy rocked and sand Pres to sleep one night when Pres would not go to bed :)






Me, the Boys, my Mom with Aunt Mary and Aunt Kathleen.






The spa that the boys jumped in....here they are in their swimsuits, but below.....






....they are in their clothes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Their cousin Sierra lives there and played with all the boys. She was SO sweet!!!






The morning we left for home my Grandad gave the boys all a dollar. You would have thought they won the lottery!!!






Texas. There is not much there!






Sunset out on the road.






The last day in the car and the boys started getting looney on us.....well, we were looney to.....