Thursday, August 26, 2010

Just an update

Since I have so many friends and family living afar, I think I should post a little update on how things are going here in Jennyville.

Our little Devin will be walking any day now. He pulls himself up to stand and then gets mad because he can't figure out how to get back down or what to do next. I need to get better at letting him work on it on his own, it is just instinct I guess to rush to his aid every time he makes a peep, but this is one he has to do on his own!

He has got to have a tooth or two coming in -- finally. His drool levels have been off the chart lately. I feel like I need to give him a bottle of water a couple times a day just so he won't get dehydrated!

His first birthday is coming up. We have to start planning a party! I can't wait to see what he does with the cake! Will he dive in or be afraid to get his hands dirty? We will see!

Aria starts first grade next week. She is registered at Jefferson Elementary, even though we are in Tendoy's region or whatever they call it. They had 19 extra first graders who had to find another school to go to. So since there was space at Jefferson we registered her there, which will actually work out nicely because I can drop her off on my way to work and she can ride the bus to her dad's house in the afternoon. We met her teacher, she seems nice and has a lot of experience.
We are going school shopping this weekend!
She is growing up and getting into girly things like nail polish and bracelets and such. She has even been asking me about what it feels like to get your ears pierced. Maybe she is almost ready!

Mike's work has been very steady, which is good for our financial situation, but then again I feel like I never see him some weeks! In a few weeks they will be going to Salmon for a few days and I will be on my own with the kiddos!

We are almost ready to start looking for a house. We found some "glitches" in Mike's credit history that we have been cleaning up, and we have been figuring out what we can afford. We would like a fenced yard and hopefully four bedrooms, but we could settle with three. A hot tub would be nice too. Just kidding . . . hot tub not necessary! But we are gonna be picky! Our realtor is gonna be sick of us before this is through!

I am still working at the Journal as the online and art and entertainment editor. Work has been extra stressful lately. I feel like no one understands the pressure I am under with the online stuff from the bosses. Of course I have to post breaking news ASAP to the Web site to beat the competition, but there is also the pressure of making all of the Journal's Web sites the best to sell to make the most money. But, alas, I am only one person and there are only so many hours in a day! It goes in phases, I will be really stressed out for a few weeks, then I chill out for awhile and then it builds again. That's when I know I need a day off! Thank God Labor Day weekend is coming up!

But I enjoy most of my job! I have phone numbers and am on a first name basis with a lot of really cool people, and there is something new everyday. And I am interviewing the Oak Ridge Boys next week! They are legends!

On a side note, while cleaning house to prepare for my grandma's upcoming yard sale, I found a bunch of my old journals. I have been enjoying reading about the various highs and lows of almost every week of my life since I was nine. Darn the writing bug . . . it has always been here.

Love ya all!
Jenny

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Two trips to Tooth Town

Being the 6 year old that she is, Aria has started to lose her baby teeth. Three so far by my count. Recent trips to the dentist's office have let us know that she has some crowding in her mouth and will eventually need to have braces. Super. Orhodontist's office, here we come!

I was so proud of her yesterday! She was so brave at the orthodontist, not shedding a tear, just being the little chatterbox that she always is! Doctor tooth tells us that due to the crowding, her permenate teeth are coming in crooked. Plan? Remove a couple baby teeth to make room for the big boys. Simple enough. Doc even commented on one of Aria's loose teeth, a wibbly wobbly guy on the top of her little mouth. It will come out soon indeed! They had this cool little play area called Tooth Town, there was a molar coaster! Clever indeed.

Next, a trip to Fred Meyer to buy spaghetti sauce, ranch, bread and nail polish, just the necessities ... and a back to school outfit or two. We're done here, let's blow this popcicle stand! Aria wants to stand on the front of the cart. Not the front like facing me while I push the cart front, like standing in between my arms while I push the cart front. That's not really safe my dear . . . "But Mooooommmm, I am too tired to walk!" Moms, you know what I am talking about. You pick your battles. Fine, let's just get out of here.

The cart squeaks throught the narrow aisles of the apparell department, then CRASH! Where the hell did that damn support beam come from?! It jumped out from behind that clothing rack! Aria's now covered her face with her hands, and I pause, afraid to react, fearing the worst. Sure enough, underneath her little hands I see the liquid crimson that means she did indeed hit her face on the handle bar of the cart. Can't get any worse, right? WRONG! She pulls her hand away and extends it toward me, her eyes wide with fear. There it was, the little tooth, bloody and small. Oh my God, I knocked out one of my daughter's teeth.

So there I am, in the middle of a busy store with crying, bleeding child next to me. Ya, people looked at me like I was one of those stupid people I read about everyday who beat their kids in department stores. Never have I ever wanted to know the intercom code more than that moment: "Attention Fred Meyer shoppers, the child in the girl's apparell department has lost a tooth, she is not being smacked around by her panicked mother. Check out the specials in our meat department!"

The blood is really starting to flow now. What to do? I have no tissues, people are starring, she is bleeding and screaming, wait, there is a Starbucks in here! No, I was not craving an iced mocha. Where there is food service there is paper towels. The young man at Starbucks was so helpful, he deserves an award of some sort. Not only did he give us paper towels, he gave us a cup of ice, even though there were several people waiting in line. I need to go back and thank him!

The cart got left behind . . . (I always wondered why there were always carts full of merchandise left sitting around when I worked in retail. It's not gnomes, it's KIDS!)

The crisis was over after a few hours. Knowing that the Tooth Fairy would soon be making a pit stop at our house helped soothe her nerves. She was pretty mad at mommy though. I have been involved with more accidents in shopping carts than cars, thank God! But there was the, "mommy, why did you do that?" Well, kiddo, how do I explain that I love you more than life itself and just the sight of your blood pushes me to near fainting? I would never hurt you on purpose!

"Ya know how sometimes you get really excited and run up to me and step on my toes and it hurts me?"

"Ya...."

"You do not mean to hurt me, right? It is an accident."

"Ya..."

"It is like that, kiddo, me crashing into the pole at the store was an accident. I would never hurt you."

"But mommy, you need to watch where you are going, OK?'

"Ok, deal."

The ultimate proof of a promise follows: pinky swear.

The Tooth Fairy must have known how that little tooth under the pillow came to be out of that cute little mouth, because she left two dollars instead of the standard four shiny quarters. Her note to Aria told her to keep up the good work and not be mad at her mommy. :)

Move on to today . . .

We get home for the day and she quickly dashes to her room and shuts the door. Odd . . . but maybe she is just changing her clothes.
Moments later, she emerges, clutching her tiny treasure in her hands. Not a penny found on the sidewalk . . . ANOTHER TOOTH! This one came out the right way though . . . coaxed out with an eager pincer grasp from it's creator.

"The Tooth Fairy gets to come back tonight!"
She does indeed. And she is happy to do so.