One night this week I was doing the last minute dinner preparations, my husband had just gotten home from work, and my 3 youngest were having a parade throughout the house. A parade where they all marched and played loud instruments! The parade circled through the kitchen several times. It was very cute, so I couldn't really complain about all the loud! My oldest child was hollering (to be heard over the parade music), "What about my brain?!!! Did you print out the brain picture I need for my book report project?!!! I need a brain!!!!" The dog, meanwhile, had her front paws up on the kitchen counter, trying to help herself to dinner (Did I mention we're considering remedial dog training for our 1 year old, hopelessly terrible dog? Maybe even the kind where you send them away for a week or two!).
My husband and I looked at each other at the same time and just laughed! I mean, THE CHAOS!! And he said something about, "People just have no idea the crazy that goes on around here!" Which would be true, except I write about some of it on my blog for all the world to read!
________________________
Speaking of crazy, today, I took all 4 of my children to the dentist for check-ups. It was every bit as unfun as you might imagine!
My 3 older kids were due for a check-up in mid-January, I'd been putting it off, but couldn't feel good about delaying it any longer. Also, our new daughter needed to have a first ever dentist appointment to make sure everything seemed okay with her teeth.
I could have just made the appointment for my older 3 kids and waited a little while longer before doing Littlest Girl. But, the problems with that option were that we're not leaving Littlest Girl with babysitters yet, so she'd still have to go with me to take the other 3 to the dentist, and if she's going to be there anyway why not just have her looked at. Besides, having kids close in age, I've seen the magic of a younger sibling watching an older sibling get a shot/dental exam/hair cut and survive it and the younger child then be able to do it themselves without pitching a fit!
I was not totally nuts, though. I did have the forethought to think that maybe this dentist visit with all 4 kids and it being the 1st one for our new daughter might be too much for me to handle by myself, so I made my husband leave work to meet me there.
Definitely a good idea! First there was the 55 minute wait before even being called back (Ask me how close I was to leaving and never going back to that dentist at minute 54?) Then it was like a 4 ring circus with them having one kid go to this room for x-rays, one in this chair for a cleaning, one in this chair for the dentist to examine and discuss findings with parent, and one playing in the corner toy area waiting their turn.
Did I mention there's an electric train that runs on a track throughout the ceiling of the office, it goes through all the rooms? Really it's very cool, but after 2 hours of being in that crazy place with that train flying around and around and around, I began to feel like I needed a sedative!
The good news, 4 kids and not 1 cavity! And Littlest Girl sat happily in the chair to be examined which I didn't expect, apparently she got all her tantrums out of her system in the waiting room! Still debating a dentist switch over the long wait when I had an appointment, but reminding myself to be thankful for the medical and dental care we have here in the U.S. that is not available in Ethiopia!
________________________
I had a hunch these two
would be the best of friends once we got past some sharing issues. My 4 year old and my 3 year old:
________________________
Elementary school "Breakfast With Mom" today brought back memories of my 1st
year, when my oldest child was a kindergartener, I made the rookie
mistake of actually buying the cafeteria breakfast for us to eat. Wow,
so gross!! And then I looked around and all the moms with older kids
had stopped and gotten donuts or fast food breakfast for themselves and
their kids! So, this has now become the one and only school day of the
year where my kids get donuts for breakfast. And I've made it a public service project to warn new kindergarten moms
that despite the advertising that you come eat breakfast at the school
with your kid(s) on this special day, really, you must pick up breakfast
on the way and bring it to eat in the decorated cafeteria, trust me!
________________________
Another sweet moment from the week:
My 6 year old daughter is often making me cards even when there is no occasion. This time she set it up in my bedroom and called me in to see. Her cards usually have a picture of she and I together on them. And we're always smiling with flowers or butterflies around. It makes me so happy that she views us like that! Praise God when she's drawing that she isn't dwelling on the times I was grouchy with her or the time recently when it wasn't butterflies but tons of fruit flies buzzing around us in our kitchen because someone had left the backdoor open for much of an afternoon!
________________________
Happy Friday, Friends!
Find more Finer Things Friday and Friday Fragments.
What a little sweetie your 6 year old is!
ReplyDeleteI have 3, and tend to try to take them all to the dentist/doctor's at the same time. Why kill 3 afternoons when you can do it in one chaotic one?
Aw, cards from kids just rock!!! How wonderful that the kids get along so well, 2 peas in a pod. That is so cool.
ReplyDeleteWe just did 3 kids at the doctor's office with one round of vaccines. Why does it all have to take so long?? :-(
I hear the chaos, I totally get it. I bet it gets just nuts. Of course the dog has to join in... why not? ;-)
Chaos theorists purports that it is unpredictability that keeps mankind moving forward. That is my story and I am sticking with it.
ReplyDeleteWe take our three boys all at once, too. One time, I found my family in the waiting room with a family of five...who actually kept snatching personal things from my boys and getting in their faces. I would have walked and never come back if the entire dental staff hadn't felt so badly about the situation. They promised NEVER to schedule that kind of mess again. You were very wise to have your husband meet you there. It does get better once the kids get older. But still. I feel your pain.
ReplyDeleteHope you find a few minutes to escape the CRAZY this weekend.
Hugs
We must be in sync because my husband took himself and the 3 kids to the dentist yesterday! and they waited 40 minutes!
ReplyDeleteLove the dentist story...I have four kids too. I applaud you for taking all four at once, even if you did have the help of your husband!!!
ReplyDeleteYour kiddos are cuties!
You are SO BRAVE to go to the dentist with 4 kids. Thank goodness your husband went with you! And what a cute thing your 6 year old did!
ReplyDeleteYour daughter sounds like mine. She always draws herself and me with flowers and butterflies and rainbows and sunshine. :)
ReplyDeleteHow sweet to receive those cards. Treasure them.
ReplyDeleteBest kind of chaos ever! :) I enjoyed this post very much.
ReplyDeleteHave a relaxing weekend!
That dentist trip sounds very stressful! Don't think that train would help anything either except be very annoying after the first 20 minutes of waiting.
ReplyDeleteSchool food is nasty; glad you now bring in food on that day!
That's cute your daughter makes cards for you.
Oh my I felt like I needed a sedative after that dental visit! That wait was ridiculous, I commend your patience.
ReplyDeleteYour daughter is a sweetheart. I love looking at the cards and other things my kids made for me when they were small. My grandkids just love looking at it too!
Have a great week:)