Bring on the Braces

Today marked two big events. First, it was the first day of our year or so of orthodontia. Abby got the spacers put in today so that next week she'll be able to have a little wiggle room for the braces to go on. Yay! She was all too excited to get this day started because in her second grade mind braces are cool and a big attention getter. :) Can't say I blame her. I always wanted braces and glasses while I was in elementary school. And actually, I went so far as to buy a fake pair of eye glasses and wear them as if they were real. My eighth grade school picture documents the embarrassment.

The second big event was the first big draw on our bank account for the said dentalware. These little stainless steel beauties, complete with your choice of color bands, are costing Mom and Dad a mere $6400. Oh yea...spank me, baby! $3200 for each round. She'll have the braces on for a year to a year and a half, then they'll put in a retainer until the remaining eight baby molars fall out. Then the next round will begin around the age of 12 or 13.

Actually, the money isn't a big worry in my mind...although that IS a crapload of money. The biggest worry about the whole thing is me being the involved Mommy Brusher and making sure she takes care of her teeth/the braces. Not to mention the whining if any pain or discomfort is involved. This child throws herself on the floor whining when we simply request she go brush her teeth in a normal circumstance...let alone having metal in her mouth rubbing her cheeks, having to wear headgear while she sleeps and actually having to pick crud out of her braces. So this should be real fun.

I do have faith in Abby and I am really excited to see what difference this makes in her smile and appearance. It wasn't until today when I saw all the pictures they took of her and her mouth, that I REALLY got a good look at her. I guess when you are with someone day in and day out you tend to gloss over anything that might be askew with their appearance. I mean, I had noticed that her teeth were kinda crooked, but not until today did I get a full sense of what she looks like to other people. And God love her, she's a beautiful girl...she'll ALWAYS be beautiful to Scott and I no matter what, but I can clearly see now the need for the braces.

So...stay tuned for more updates on this. Like when I have to kick the sh*t out of some punk who calls my pretty baby girl Metal Mouth or something equally mean and makes her cry. *polishing my brass knuckles*

Oh, the 24 hour bug has bit

At least we HOPE it's a 24 hour bug. I don't know if any of our stomachs can handle much more.

Abby came home from school today complaining of a belly ache. She said her tummy hurt all day, but didn't need to go to the nurse. Promptly after that statement she had her head hung in the toilet. She has vomited thirteen times since four o'clock today. We finally got her to take some Advil and keep it down, so for now the cramping has stopped and she resting.

Bless her heart though. She's been writhing on the couch calling out, "Mo-mmy, Mama, please make it stop!" It's so heartbreaking to watch your baby crying in pain and know that there is little to nothing you can do. :(

Thursday

Well, nothing all too interesting going on here at the moment. We're still waiting for Scott's test results and are on countdown to the last day of school. Abby has 15 school days left! Hard to believe and that'll go slower than it sounds. Do you remember that? Just how slooooow those last days of school drug by. I do. Then you waited for the mail to come (just like Scott *wink*) to get the grade card that had a check that said "Pass to the next grade" or "Remain in current grade." I was that kid that just flew under the radar, just did enough to keep the adults off of my back and pass. So sad to think about really b/c I had great potential to do better. Anyway, now we have TWO things to anticipate in the coming days. :) Oh, and I thought it was too funny this morning and knew I could share here. Abby got up two days in a row, dressed herself in pretty clothes and came downstairs without being asked. Shocking, I know! So today she had on a leopard print skirt and a black top completed with gym tennis shoes and green striped socks. LOL! It's like she has two sides to her. She desperately wants to be fashionable and wear what she loves (a.k.a strappy, sparkley sandals), but then there is her sensible, sensory side that tells her she has gym today and must wear tennis shoes and socks. So she compromises and does both. Actually, now that I think of it, I'm gonna attach a picture of her I took last week when she came down wearing a different concoction and made me laugh. She even struck a pose like she was something hot. LOL I love that girl! ANY-WAY...she jumps out of the van and meets Isabela at the curb. This next action HAS to be totally inbred in females b/c I swear it was like watching nature happen. They come hip to hip and as they are walking to the big grey doors Abby takes an inventory scan of Isabela from head straight to her shoes and back up...AND as if on cue, Isabela did the EXACT SAME THING to Abby. If I had blinked I would have missed it...it was so quick. But you could almost see their little gears turning inside, comparing themselves, taking note of what the other had on, judging the outfits. It was hilarious to me and I really did laugh out loud.

What else? Don't forget next week is the American Idol finale! Tuesday at 8pm (EST). Which David will it be!? I'm completely torn. I like both a lot now. They both have a career no matter what and if I'm thinking in the "this is NOT a popularity contest" vein...I'd vote for David Cook. He really is the entire package deal! I'd buy his CD right now, I think. David A is totally adorable and has an A-MAZING voice. Possible downfalls: he's still quite young and could benefit from more life experience and professional grooming. He's also kinda pigeon holed into that ballad genre. I could totally see him on Broadway. And SPEAKING OF THAT...Fantasia freaked me out last night. Scott and I couldn't believe our eyes. She came across as this crazy Amazon woman and (even though I'm sure that's the way the song was meant) she was singing SO hard and fast that I couldn't understand her half the time. Phew - and that hair. God love her. I forgive her though b/c she's on Broadway with The Color Purple, which is one of my all time favorite movies. I'd actually love to see that show. Hell, I'd like to see ANYTHING on Broadway! Someday.

One more thing...the new ticker. That is simply a daily reminder for me. I have a goal of paying down the van, this year if possible. So each time I make a payment I simply enter in the amount and it shows me moving down the debt. It's a good thing...I need daily motivation. I'm also planning to go cash/debit again. Whenever I do that, it forces me to pay attention to what I'm spending b/c it comes directly from checking. Our credit card bill seems to keep staying up too high and even though we pay it off every month, it's waaaay too much. Our pastor just mentioned this as a biblical way of managing your finances too. Romans 13:8 Let no debt remain outstanding except the debt of loving one another. Plus, with gas and food prices going up, it's best to cut costs and spending now and focus on the goal of paying off the van. Scott's car is paid for and we hope it'll last at least until we get the van taken care of. One car payment at a time, please! Last year we took a lot of dings as far as major expenses go and so we took a LOT out of savings, to the point of near depletion. My goal this year is to only put money IN. We have enough in there for any emergencies, but if we live more simply and contentedly then we'll be able to put more money away, esp for the kids' college funds. So - that's what's up with the ticker. Hee hee...short story, long.

Have a great one!

Our lame attempt at a picture

Abby has to bring in a picture of her with her Mommy. So, in the usual fashion, we're scrambling to do it at the last minute. And I'd just like to say, there is nothing quite like taking a picture of yourself at arms length to make you rethink cosmetic work. Enjoy the laugh! And yes, Abby was shirtless and we realized it was inappropriate for school projects. :) Thankfully Daddy conveniently left his Tshirt on the kitchen floor!