Tough Kids

We had a little accident the other night. I had to go into work for a while to get some paperwork finished and I brought the kids with me to play in the play area. As we were getting ready to head out the door, Natalie had been playing around and hid under a table. I told her to come along, and as she put her hands down to climb out, her hands and feet slid right out from underneath her and she smacked her face against the concrete floor. I think everyone within a few miles could hear her painful cry. I noticed blood and calmed her down so that I could investigate. She had loosened a tooth, one of her front teeth. Yikes! I called the dentist the very next morning and set up an appointment, which was this afternoon. They really enjoy Natalie at the office. She's bubbly and bouncy and not afraid. I just sat back as she followed the assistant to get x-rays and then skipped back to be examined by Dr. Todd. She told him exactly where to look and he just smiled. The x-rays revealed that her tooth is fractured by the root. This means that the whole tooth has to be removed. She will have to have a hole-y smile for another couple of years before her permanent teeth push through. In a few weeks they will sedate her and remove the broken tooth. The other three front teeth are loosened as well, but we are just going to let them take their natural course and fall out on their own. Poor girl! Her teeth only hurt when she brushes and when she eats some of the harder foods, but doesn't complain otherwise. She is one tough girl and likes to tell the story of her loose tooth and how the tooth fairy will be coming to visit soon. Such a trooper!

Ryan had a scary moment Tuesday morning. While running amok and climbing all over creation, he slid off the couch on his tummy trying to land in Natalie's little pink rocker. He had good momentum going, and before I could catch him he had landed on his head. His body kept going and his feet flew up and over and he landed on his back. Of course, this was all slow motion in my eyes. I waited for him to move (because you want to see if they can move before you touch them otherwise you could cause more harm). He slowly rolled over, got to his feet, rubbed his head, and with a furrowed brow said, "Ow." I laughed...I couldn't help it! It was out of relief and gratitude that he was okay and also from his expression. What did he do next? Tried it again! Silly boy!

In my last update I neglected to mention a couple of things about the kids. Natalie can now spell and write her name. Woohoo! Ryan is able to get out of his crib and brushes his teeth with his own toothbrush, or at least tries. He has also been watching all of us go to the bathroom. He is starting to show interest in the potty, though he still just tries to play with the water. Yuck! Kids grow so fast. I am reminded daily how precious life is and that we shouldn't waste a second. Who cares if someone hurt your feelings 5, 10, even 20 years ago? LET IT GO! Move on and just love one another! Who cares if the dishes aren't done? LET IT GO! Enjoy life and the people in it! One day our lives will come to an end, and when you look the Lord in the face, will you be proud of the way you lived? Will you be proud of who you are and what you have become? Think about that the next time you look in the mirror. I'm getting off my soap-box now. =)