Fat Biscuit

And Then They Were Showered With Gifts, Like a Toothbrush and an Orthodontist Referral

Yesterday I took Owen to the dentist for a cleaning. I was dreading it, frankly, because our last trip there was disastrous, with tears and terror and very little cleaning taking place. Owen was better this time, though he still resisted keeping his mouth open and on numerous occasions told the hygienist that he didn't like the taste of the toothpaste (too minty; kid is used to the very mild flavoured Tom's of Maine's variety). The hygienist, a young woman, was very patient, which I thanked her for. The dentist . . . less so. He breezed in cheerily enough to give Owen's teeth a once over, but as soon as Owen's nervousness threatened to slow him down, he became impatient, telling Owen, "That didn't hurt." The dentist pointed out Owen's underbite, which is quite obvious, and then recommended that we take him to an orthodontist, "to get a baseline and an evaluation." We will NOT be doing that. He's too young to have any corrective interventions, so I'm not willing to spend money just for an "evaluation." I think the dentist is just trying to send his buddy some clients (read: money). 

Taylor did suggest that instead of harboring all of this anger and resentment, we could just take Owen to a different dentist. The man is so sensible.

This afternoon I'll be counting down the minutes until glorious Nana arrives. When I invited her up for this weekend, I was quite prepared to beg if she expressed any hesitation. I need her calming presence and her bedtime-story-reading capabilities. Taylor and I always put off going out alone together, and I think it's starting to get to us. So, if Owen doesn't wear Nana out during the day, Tay and I might try and go out for coffee or something at night. We are so pathetic. I need my mummy!

So, while we count down the minutes today, Owen and I will run some errands and do some tidying. Well, I'll be doing the tidying. We will also hit the water park for a couple of hours. The last few times I've suggested this, Owen has refused. But summer is running out, and we did purchase the season pass. Besides, I need to work on my micro-tan.

Now Slightly Tanned

I have so not been getting my $8.95's worth these past few months. What time I spend on the computer is devoted to work, keeping up with e-mail, and the quick Facebook status update. 

I miss those 6-hour school days.

Strangely, the summer break is going by quickly, which is OK with me. I'm not much for strict schedules and jam-packed days (no comment, please, Rachael) but every week being different makes me uncomfortable. But a lot of things make me uncomfortable, like the curtains not being drawn evenly, bread crumbs on the counter, the heat, gusts of wind, Owen leaning back in his chair, . . . anything loud. Can you tell it's getting to me?

O and I have had fun visits to grandparents and many a free movie at the local movie theatre. I even have an ever so subtle tan on my legs to prove that I've taken my son, dutifully, to the pool and water park. 

And this week, we're having a tree removed from our front yard and others trimmed back. That should be entertaining for everyone, including the cat.

Every Saturday morning I get up early to go running with a couple friends. I look forward to it each week. 

four days till ocean city!

Six Months Between The Two

April is one of my favourite months, but it's also one of the busiest. Not only is it the birth month of both myself and my son, but it's also when several of my closest friends and family members celebrate their birthiversaries as well. (I did it again; I made up a word, . . . just like that!)

Starting it off, on the first of this month (six months to the day after Frieda died), as you must have noticed by my recent catcentric photo postings, we adopted a new cat, Reese. Reese is about as good as it gets. She is friendly, cuddly, tolerant of loud noises, and playful; she is also highly skilled with the cat box. She eats dry food; she eats wet food; she likes the occasional cat treat (but doesn't scarf them down); she enjoys some cat nip. She hasn't even tried to eat our plants. We made an excellent choice.

I thought I would pass on perhaps the most annoying exchange I've ever had with a stranger in public. I was at the checkout line at Whole Foods when I noticed that my tub of grape tomatoes was moldy. I wasn't quite up to the checker yet, so I turned to the woman in line behind me and said, "Would you mind if I just run back to grab another?" She looked at me with little enthusiasm and said, "Do what you have to do." 

What the F**K does that mean? 

I've hated her, that stranger at Whole Foods, ever since. She's got a whole backstory now as well. If you'd like to hear more about her emotionless, joyless upbringing, just drop me a line. Don't even get me started about her political leanings.

Another April breakthrough: Owen rode his bike without his training wheels. I'll put up a picture as soon as the resident photographer gets some uploaded. 

Finally, it seems I always get a nasty cold in April. I remember the most heinous one was my final year at college, the year I turned 21. I felt like dying but had so many papers to do and tests to study for. That was also the year that Katie and Kalai gave me a Welsh coffee mug and a tiny bottle of Godiva liquor.

The Intersection of Concern and Nosiness

Things have been moving slowly here recently. Today Owen is home sick for the second day in a row, and although I'm glad to be able to cuddle him and comfort him, I'm also a bit sad to have missed my weekly power yoga class and the free time I was going to spend volunteering at the library. But, as Mum says, this is what being a parent is all about, and as Owen is rapidly approaching the age when all children begin to disdain their parents, I'm happy to get all the affection I can. 

Like yesterday, at Target, when I had dragged a sick and droopy Owen out to grab some essential sick-day supplies, I relished the fact that he reached for my hand in the store and held it throughout our entire shopping foray. True, he did know that I was going to buy him a Scooby Doo DVD, but I don't think that explains it. Later in the day I also enjoyed a nice long nap with Owen on the sofa; my head at one end, and his at the other, with a couple of blankets draped over us. 

And here we venture into nosey parker territory . . . 

The past two days another kid in our 'hood has been home sick from school as well, but I worry about him because he's been home alone. He's in fifth grade and has two siblings (third grade and kindergarten) and a single mom. My feelings toward the mom are ambivalent: It must be hard to miss work, but is it safe to leave a fifth-grader at home alone? 

Every day after school the three kids, grades 5, 3, and K, get off the bus and walk into an empty house. Then they hang out for a couple hours until the mom comes home. Twice the children have been unable to get into their house because the eldest forgot his key. One of these times, the kids did not come over to ask to use the phone until the mailman went by delivering the mail and found all three of them waiting in front of their house, in the dark. The mailmen then brought them to my house to see if they could wait with us. I was horrified. I will never understand why the kids didn't just walk right on over and knock on my door; I see them at the bus stop every day. 

A couple weeks ago the eldest did knock on our door in the evening. The kids were not locked out, but because it was about an hour after their mom's usual getting-home time, they wanted to call her to see why she was late. So this request, we realized, meant that they have no land line in the house. They can't check in with mom; mom can't check in with them. 

I can't do anything except let those kids use my phone when they ask, but it drives me crazy knowing they're in that house alone. I suppose I could redirect this energy towards something more productive, like carpentry or dress-making, but we all know that's not gonna happen.