What Now?

So, I've decided that the dentist is officially making a killing off of Carson this month. FIrst he had his tooth pulled, then he went in for a cleaning, and then they found out he had 2 cavities. Yes, that's right - my 4 year old has cavities. I think we are going to be paying for the dentist's new boat.

We went in today to have Carson's 2 cavities filled - not with pretty white fillings, but the ugly old silver ones. So, now my son has a missing front tooth and silver teeth. Great. My hands were tied with the silver choice (evidently baby teeth can't hold onto the white filling because it just falls out), and hopefully everyone agrees that I really had no choice on the teeth pulling thing. The only thing I've got going for me now is that his permanent teeth will be coming in a few years, so hopefully it will negate all this nonsense. Just in case, though - I have to take some precautions now to hopefully prevent more teeth problems in the future. Carson swears up and down that he will brush his teeth really good every morning and night, and I'll let him - but I'm brushing them first. I've already talked to his pediatrician and got a prescription for fluoride, and I've now outlawed any night-time sweets and eating after brushing teeth at night. Maybe that will work (ha,ha).

Carson was once again a great sport. He thoroughly enjoyed the nitrous oxide (he was cracking up at everything anyone said), didn't mind all the poking and prodding, but did have a problem with the actual spacer - and cried quite a bit. But, despite the pain, he remained fairly still and let the dentist do his work. He really was great, and I was very proud of him. But, both Carson and I agree that that was one experience we don't need to replicate.

Happy Birthday McKinley

McKinley turned 2 on June 11th!!

Sometimes I can't believe that my little baby is already 2 - and then other days it feels like she is already 15. She is a little ball of energy, super independent, talks a ton, loves playing pretend, and is a forever-shadow to her big brother.

We celebrated her birthday on the 13th with the whole family. She had a Disney Princess birthday party, with everything pink and purple. We had grand plans to go swimming, eat a BB-Q outside, and play on the grass. Of course, the weather did not cooperate - I think we had a whopping 30 minutes of clear skies, but it still turned out fun nonetheless.

McKinley was quite social the whole day, she loved opening the presents, reading the birthday cards, and cracked everyone up when she would hold up her new clothes to herself and exclaim: "Ooooh, pretty."

All in all, it was a great day - and I think McKinley loved all the extra attention.

Here Comes the Tooth Fairy

Carson lost his first tooth on May 29th!  

His front tooth simply started getting a little grey a few months ago - not really causing him any grief, just not looking very pretty.  Then, after a few weeks of that, that same tooth started getting loose.  Carson really didn't seem too bothered by it until about a week before when it started hurting every time he moved it. 

I ended up taking him to the dentist, where he had to get a shot and then have it taken out.  He wasn't too thrilled about the shot, and was quite afraid of all the tools, but he stayed still enough to get it out, and never really complained - he was such a trooper.  The dentist and hygienist were both surprised at how well he did, and let him pick out 3 toys for his bravery.  

The most exciting part of the adventure for Carson was being able to put his tooth under his pillow and wake up in the morning to see what the Tooth Fairy brought.  Ben thought the Tooth Fairy was being "cheap" when she put $10 under the pillow (no, I'm not insane - it was his first tooth, and Carson was told repeatedly that it would never be that much again), until I had to remind him how many teeth there actually are in the human mouth, and how quickly that money can add up when they all start falling out.  I mean really, I was lucky if I got a dollar as a kid.  

I think Carson was thoroughly happy with the whole adventure, and is very proud of his now-toothless smile.

So Sorry

Ok, so I have no excuse...well, maybe just 4: I've had a crazy month and a half overrun with work, home, kids, and life.  I feel like I've barely kept my head above the water because of all the above mentioned, and haven't even come close to thinking about posting updates on the blog.  For shame.  So, I am going to make a valiant effort over these next few days to catch everyone up on some of the bigger moments that were so rudely neglected:

On Wednesday, May 20th, Carson graduated from his first year of preschool!  We all had such a great time.  Carson sure did know how to make his mommy proud.  He was unbelievably well behaved, he knew all the words and hand gestures to all the songs, and sang the loudest of all the kids there (that really isn't an exaggeration - if I ever figure out how to post my home videos on here, I'll prove it).  Here are a few photos to commemorate the wonderful day.

What Did You Say?

I have a patient right now who is quite profoundly deaf, despite the use of hearing aids in both his ears. Not being able to hear what I'm saying all the time, has resulted in some hilarious misinterpretations. Here are just a few of the things that he thought he heard me say:

Me: My name is Kamie.
Patient: Krispie? Well, that's a dumb name.

Me: Do you have any allergies?
Patient: No, I haven't seen any lawyers lately.

Me: You are working with me this week.
Patient: I'm going to be dead this week?!?

I sure did try and keep a straight face when he misheard what I was saying, but it was definitely hard. Good times.

Conspiracy

This past December, Ben started researching the various vacation spots we could visit this year (we usually try to take a bigger vacation every-other-year, with easier state-side vacations the opposite years).  This year we were up for our bigger vacation spot, and being extra excited and oober-prepared, Ben looked into a variety of different locations.  Eventually, several other members of my family decided to join in the fun, and we had a great group put together.  In January, everyone got together to discuss the pros and cons of our different options, ultimately deciding on visiting Morelos, Mexico.  Yes, that's right - I said Mexico.  Clearly something is conspiring against us visiting that country this year because first there were the drug wars, followed by the multitude of 5.0+ earthquakes, and then most recently the outbreak of the Swine Flu.  Even though our vacation isn't until August, it is looking less and less likely that we will be able to visit there this year.  But, I guess if we're crazy enough to still try and go...we will likely either be gunned down by drug lords, or crushed to death in the rubble of a decrepit building, or get deathly ill and poorly cared for in some hospital.  Maybe we will try visiting somewhere slightly safer this year, like Iraq or Afghanistan.

Best Days

Carson and I were talking last night about what he had done that day. Nothing major, just an overview of the things he experienced, to not only work on his story-telling and language skills (yes, I'm forever a speech therapist), but also so I feel as involved as possible in his life on those days I have to work. As we were talking, I asked him a series of questions that I thought was quite funny:

Me: Carson, what do you like most about Nana days?
Carson: Catching butterflies.

Me: What do you like most about Mommy days?
Carson: Having cooking and art days.

Me: Great. What do you like most about Daddy days?
Carson: Eating the marshmallows in the Lucky Charms.

I think I have clearly identified the weak link in my parenting armor: Ben.

Funny Comments

So I have two pretty interesting patients right now - both have traumatic brain injuries, which result in some pretty funny comments. Here are a few I heard yesterday:

Patient #1:
The nurse comes in to check on him while he's in the bathroom: "Are you OK in there?"
"Yes, and thank you for your interest. I can really tell you care how much I pee." (He says it with genuine sincerity).

After a 30 minute session where we are doing nothing but talking, he says: "You know, I just need some attention. If someone could spend just 10 minutes talking to me, I think I could get better."

I stepped out of his room for 2 minutes to get him some juice. When I came back in he says: "Boy, you look familiar."


Patient #2;
I brought in some applesauce and ice chips for him to try and eat, and he says: "You know, if I had a tail right now, it would be wagging."

(This didn't happen to me, but I heard about it and couldn't help including it) He's sitting on the edge of his bed getting dressed and has his shirt off. He looks up to the female occupational therapist and says, "I hope I'm not turning you on. I have my shirt off and I'm so muscly" (then makes a weak attempt at flexing his non-existent muscles).

Forced Volunteerism

Ben received an interesting email yesterday, that I felt compelled to share. Evidently, certain individuals have forgotten what both the concept and definition of volunteering and service really are. Below is the message he received:

"Brethren,
I'm sure you already received the other email we sent out regarding Stake Conference. Don't worry, this one is not a duplicate. This particular email is going out to those elders in the quorum who, according to our records, have yet to fill any sort of service assignment in the quorum (sealings, canning, moving, etc.) since the ward was created about a year ago. We realize that most, if not all of you have church callings which undoubtedly take up a good amount of your time, so time is limited. Thank you for fulfilling those callings that you already have. However, YOU are on our "hit" list now. We are going to be approaching you to help fill quorum assignments, until we've given everyone the opportunity to serve, at which point we'll rotate back through the list of all Elders in the quorum (approximately 90 in all).

Our next assignment is Sunday for Stake Conference. The Stake has tasked our ward with providing two brethren to assist with ushering parking, AFTER the general session. If you would like to volunteer, and avoid the possibility of being "assigned" this, or any subsequent duties, please let us know, and we can remove your name from further, similar emails. We will advise this same group of any up-and-coming assignments.

Thank You brethren for your faithfulness.
Elders Quorum Presidency"

Now, I'm completely aware that Ben is not a big fan of volunteering to help for things - mainly because he doesn't like to do things that take him away from his wife and kids (because we really do struggle to all be together for any length of time as is). However, Ben is always one of the first people to offer to help someone he knows do anything from manual labor, to finding a job, to watching their kids. So, to basically be told that he will be receiving constant emails and is now on a "hit list" until he volunteers, is completely backwards. As the adage goes: "You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar," and it's completely true. Because now, with this forced volunteerism in effect; someone who really would have helped under other circumstances, has now told me that he WILL volunteer, but volunteer to be taken OFF their list.

Spring is Here

Well, the calendar may say it's Spring time, but if you look outside and see the snow coming down and wonder why you still can't put your winter coat away, you may think otherwise.  But, despite the weather, Easter is on it's way.  We got Easter pictures taken of the kids yesterday, and every time we try to get professional pictures taken it's an interesting experience.  The last several times we have gone, we've been lucky to get one picture with both of the kids - and that one picture usually has a mad or sad Kiki.  This time around, McKinley was actually somewhat decent, and after about an hour, we ended up getting 6 fairly good pictures.  I was so excited to get something that actually had both of my kids smiling, that I had to post them.  Here they are:

X vs Y

Over the past decade I have been slowly developing a theory on the difference between men and women when it comes to sickness and pain. I've noticed that there is a high tendency for men to take something as simple as having a cold and morph it into being something as serious as a death-bed sentence. Truthfully, I thought this trait was something that was either developed over the years or something that was fostered into them by their parents. This past weekend, however, I was proved wrong. This tendency is not something that just grows over time - no, it is gene deep. The differences lie in the tiny distinction in our chromosomal make-up - the addition of the Y chromosome.

Carson and McKinley came down with a cold this weekend (yes, the same cold - so my little research study is still valid) and the differences between them were quite surprising. Here were their different responses to very mundane events:

Eating dinner:
Mckinley: Takes a few bites, lays her head down on the table, takes a few more bites.
Carson: "I can't, I'm sick. I might throw up." Pushes his food away.

Walking up the stairs:
McKinley: Deliberately and slowly makes her ways up the stairs, taking breaks every few steps.
Carson: "I can't, I'm sick. Carry me." Lays down on the floor like a limp fish.

Taking a bath:
McKinley: Endures the bath, without making a peep.
Carson: "I can't, I'm sick. It's too cold." Keeps trying to turn on the water to make it warmer - and then when it is, complains it's too hot.

Going to bed:
McKinley: Lays down on her pillow, snuggles up to her blankey, and goes right to sleep.
Carson: "I can't, I'm sick. Lay down with me - it's too dark." Screams when Ben tries to leave the room.

Watching movies:
McKinely: Lays down quietly on the couch, not really caring what is on, just as long as her mommy or daddy is close by for cuddles.
Carson: Throws a fit when a movie gets put on that wasn't his choice, sits down on the floor with his arms folded in defiance, and then when asked to get back up on the couch exclaims, "I can't, I'm sick."

By the time last night was over I was at my wits end. Clearly, the reaction to a simple cold lies in the Y chromosome's ability to handle anything negative. Obviously it is beyond it's capacity to deal with anything painful or slightly annoying. Therefore, my conclusion to this study, is that anyone in possession of a Y chromosome is not only incapable of dealing with any kind of ailment appropriately, but also they must really, truly think they are worse-off than anyone else in the entire world.

Midnight for Twilight

So, I'm not terribly certain if anyone else is as quite as obsessed as I am about this hole Twilight phenomenon, but I just can't help myself.  I think I have read each one of the books in the series at least 7 times (including the unreleased 5th book - Midnight Sun).  Tonight, at midnight, the first movie in the series is being released on video.  Now yes, the movie was certainly not as good as the book (I mean, seriously, how could it be); but as it's own entity, it was great.  If you still aren't a fan of either medium, perhaps you might be able to appreciate the music.  I've grown to like this band more and more - and because I can watch Edward's gorgeous face in this video, it makes it that much better.   Enjoy!

Paramore - New Music - More Music Videos

Great Example Dad

Today in Carson's Primary class his teacher was talking about all the different things you can do on Sundays to help bring the Spirit into the home.  She went around the class and asked each kid about what they did this morning, trying (I assume) to get a variety of different examples.  My son, trying hard to be honest responded:

"I ate donuts and watched Pinnochio."

Great.  So not only did he not respond with a more well-rehearsed response of "read the scriptures, pray, or sing church hymns;" but it also shows how poor his eating habits really are.  The only saving grace that I have is that I happened to be working today - although I'm not quite sure the outcome or response would have been much different.

So Dainty

McKinley has become quite the little eater lately - although she is still as picky as ever. If you put something on her plate that she likes (or feels like eating at that particular moment), she can literally eat more than myself. The other night we had Cafe Rio, and she loves their black beans. Ben ordered her an entire side-order of beans, which she enthusiastically dipped into their creamy sauce. It was quite the disgusting spectacle to watch, and the outcome resulted in a very messy little girl. We had to put her straight into the bath, but I don't think I can complain too much, because at least she ate.

Secrets

Carson and I had a funny conversation last night, that had me giggling for several hours:

Me: Carson, we really need to think of a good present to give Grandma for her birthday.
Carson: Ok. Nana already got her something.
Me: Really? Well, what did she get her?
Carson: Some things.
Me: What kind of things?
Carson: I don't really know. I'm not a good secret keeper, so nobody will tell me.

Subconcious Favortism?

This last Saturday Ben and I took the kids to Toys-R-Us to let them pick out a toy and spend their "toy money" Christmas gift certificates. Carson was very methodical in his search criteria, ensuring we went up and down every single isle in a very direct pattern so he would be able to look at all his options and choose correctly. McKinley was just pleased as punch to be out of the house, and didn't seem too eager for anything but the dress-up clothes. By the time our tour of the toy store was complete, Carson had picked out a "loopy-loop" Geo Trax airplane set and McKinley decided on a purse and accessories set. I was pleased that McKinley had picked out something so inexpensive - but Ben insisted on making it "fair" and also encouraged her to get a Little People house.

When we got home, we immediately put together Carson's track, but didn't really think about McKinley's toys at the time. We finally got around to opening up her toys and setting up the house on Sunday. She played with her toys every waking moment on Sunday, and has continued playing with them since. Ben and I were both pleased at how much McKinley was enjoying her toys, when we both suddenly realized that McKinley doesn't really get that many new toys to play with. What kind of parent am I to only get one child a toy, and when I do get them both one, only set one of them up? Grrr...and here I thought I was treating each kid as fairly as possible. Luckily, I have come to this realization early enough to change my ways, but I'm sure she will be quick to remind me of any unfair treatment she notes when she's older, further pouring salt into my wounds. Oh well, I guess I deserve it.

Brainwashed

Ok, so I apparently need to apologize to the blogging world out there for not posting anything for the past few weeks. I've been a little crazy at work, and truthfully, I did just start reading a series of books for the fifth time this week- and despite my over-familiarity with them, I can't seem to put them down.  Despite my lame excuses, I did have a funny event happen today that I knew I had to share:

As many of you may know, Carson has been a little slow to develop his speech, much to the dismay of his so-called "speech-language pathologist" mother.  I started getting a little concerned that McKinley was going to follow suit, when at her 18 month check-up, I could barely count on 2 hands how many words she had.  My pediatrician was overly encouraging, but the pessimist that I must be, was sure she would end up being a mute, or be completely unintelligible to everyone but her mom.  Over the past month, however, McKinley must have sensed my angst and began saying so many words that I started losing track.  It was fabulous.  Every day there seemed to be a new word that she would know and say, and seemed even more responsive with a round of applause from her parents and brother.  Tonight, she totally caught me off guard when she picked up a football that had the University of Utah emblem printed on it, and proudly exclaimed, "Go Utah!" while raising her fist in the air.  Now, don't get me wrong, I am totally thrilled that she is using so many words, but a part of me is now thoroughly convinced that my husband is incorporating some highly-skilled brainwashing techniques on our children.  Is it really possible for my kids to be any more aware or supportive of the Utes than they already are?  I guess I shouldn't voice my concern out loud - because I'm sure Ben already has a series of new strategies in place to turn our kids into bigger Utah fans than he is.

"I'm So Glad When Daddy/Mommy Comes Home"

There is nothing more rewarding or calming than coming home from an exhausting hard day at work and have your kids be nothing but ecstatic to see you. Every night when Ben or I walk into the house, both Carson and McKinley will drop whatever they are doing (including playing with the latest "most exciting" toy they currently have), and run at full speed yelling "Mama, Mama" and wrap their tiny little arms around us. Last night I was practically tackled because of their over-exuberance. Carson made the moment even sweeter when he lovingly exclaimed, "Oh mommy, I missed you so much today." I know I will often be heard complaining about how hard it is to have 2 little kids, or what a tough job it is to not scream at them constantly, but my kids really are sweethearts, with very tender hearts. They both seem to know just what I need when I get home from work - my children, in my arms.

I Think You Might Be Right

I have a patient right now that has been in the hospital for about 3 weeks with a myriad of complications. The biggest thing I have been working on lately is trying to get him to just know where he is and why he's here - and remember that for longer than 30 minutes. Here was a conversation I had with him today - it made me laugh:

Me: So what is today's date?
Patient: Let's see...it's Friday, I think, June 30th, 1997.
Me: Not quite. It's actually Wednesday, January 28th, 2009.
Patient: Oh, wow. Do you realize that I have been here for almost 3 days - and I have no idea why?
Me: Well, you've actually been here for a few weeks because you had surgery and we are trying to get you healthy again.
Patient: Interesting. Did you know that this whole place (meaning the hospital) used to be a part of my house?
Me: Hmmm...are you sure?
Patient: Well, I think so. But that brings me to another point - do you know that everyone around this place thinks that I'm nuts?

For the Love of the Housewives

Carson is starting to develop his own taste and appreciation of television shows and movies.  He has the standard favorites of Mickey Mouse, Jimmy Neutron, and Sesame Street, but then will surprise me every once in a while by enjoying shows like Enchanted or Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends.  But, the biggest surprise of all came 2 weeks ago while Ben and I were trying to catch up on our TiVo shows.  

Just after we moved in, we didn't have our TiVo set up fast enough and we missed 1 episode of Desperate Housewives.  We didn't want to watch any of the succeeding episodes until we were able to view the one we missed (yes, probably sounds ridiculous to most - but it's Housewives, man).  Because of our difficulty finding the missed program, and our busy lives (yes, our lives really are busy - despite what I am leading to believe based on this post), we ended up with 5 recorded Housewives shows on our TiVo, plus the one we were still missing.  After much searching, Ben was able to locate the lost episode and we finally watched it.  After that, we watched a different Desperate Housewives show every night last week - just trying to get caught up.  By the time we were on our last 2 episodes, Carson started really paying attention to what we were watching, to the point that he was on my lap, laughing with the rest of us.  He watched the next day's episode completely - and profoundly exclaimed at the end,  "Mama, I love this show."  This past Sunday was the newest release (although it's past his bedtime), so he had a whole plan laid out that we would watch it together after his Monday nap.  When we sat down to watch the show, he was again very eager and interested in all going-ons of Wisteria Lane.  At the conclusion of the episode (when they normally show previews of the next show), the announcer said that Carson's beloved Housewives would not air again for another 3 weeks.  When the realization of this sunk into Carson, he could hardly contain himself.  He cried for almost 30 minutes, trying desperately to negotiate any way of watching it sooner - to no avail.

After realizing the effect that one show can have on a tiny little mind, Ben and I started getting a little more careful in our screening process of which shows we would watch when the kids were awake - unfortunately, we were too late with Desperate Housewives.  But, if anyone ever misses an episode of the Housewives, I'm sure that my 4-year-old son can catch you up (sigh).