THAT Kid at the Playground and The Dentist...
You know those kids on the playground that are annoying? Yes, you know the type. Of course it's not your kid. You know - it's someone else's hooligan running around being bossy and obnoxious.
Let me set the scene. Yesterday afternoon, we went to the park. It was quiet. It was peaceful. The four of us and no one else - solitude. Somewhere in the midst of the boys playing and me snatching a few photos, a father and daughter came on the scene. The dad sat on a bench, playing on his cell phone while his little girl played. Or, well, she was mostly interested in what Silas and Eli were doing. Silas, at this point, was running around hysterically laughing, because we were playing a little game. I was attempting to get some photos, but he was trying to hide from the camera. It was kind of like hide and seek with a camera - and we were both amused by it.
Little girl walked up to me and asked me in a prissy sort of way, "What is he doing? Why is he doing that?" I responded nicely that he was hiding from the camera. She kept watching.
Silas yelled at Eli, "Quick, E! Let's go down the slide so mom can't take our picture."
Little girl said matter of factly, "I can slide too. There are TWO slides." as if she were told that she could not.
She asked me several more questions about what they were doing and made a few comments regarding boys being gross. She told them a few things not to do. All the while, daddy is paying no mind to her or what she's saying. She then approached Eli. "How old are you? You're little. I'm five. I'm five. I'm five. I'm five. I'm five. I'm big. I'm five" in a little sing song prissy voice.
I'm not kidding. It was obnoxious. Eli looked right at her and said, "Okay. You're five." and walked off. I almost died. I didn't want to laugh in front of the dad, so I walked over to Dusty, trying to hide my amusement and told him what happened, with my back turned away from them. It was super funny. I wish I could do justice to how he said it. "Okay, you're five" - in a who the heck really cares and get over yourself kind of way.
Pure awesomeness.
Playground aside, I must set the stage for a monumental day that is coming this Wednesday, November 10 at 1:00 p.m. Silas is going to the dentist for the very first time. What's the big deal you ask? Well, Silas isn't the most easy-going little guy around - especially regarding new things - especially regarding things he perceives as scary. He gets all worked up, traumatizing himself before he knows whether or not it's a big deal. Example. The other night, I prepared a new food for him. Buzz and Woody Macaroni and Cheese. I added chicken and broccoli, two of his favorite things. He saw it on his plate and worked himself into a frenzy. He was crying. His tummy hurt. His tooth hurt. He suddenly had to go potty. He was terrified of something new. I really don't think he's trying to act up. It's not like at night when he wants to get out of bed, so he suddenly has to go potty. He is genuinely scared. The 10 minutes that lead up to getting the first bite in him and the following 20 minutes getting him to actually eat it were ... exasperating.
Today, I have been prepping him for the dentist. I told him how the tooth doctor wants to look at his teeth and make sure they're not sick. The dentist has really cool tools and he'll get to sit in a really awesome chair that moves up and down.
I did forget to mention the only reason I'm taking him is because I discovered a cavity. Yes, a cavity - from the kid that won't eat candy. {Sigh} Otherwise, I'd probably wait a bit longer.
But back to my prepping him for the big experience. I do make him brush his teeth everyday. But today, while in Target, I picked up some kid's, bubblegum flavored fluoride. I took him in the bathroom and demonstrated how fun it would be to swish in his mouth back and forth and spit it out. He screamed bloody murder. He went berserk, "Noooooooo momma, I DON'T WANT TO DO THAT!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! No, no, no, no, no! Let me down! Let me down! That is NOT fun! Nooooooooo, Mommy!!!" You'd have thought I was holding him down, pouring it down his throat. Nope. It was sitting in a little cup on the bathroom counter. I told him he had to try. He was so nervous, he lost it. {10 minutes passed} He dipped his finger in it. He smelled it. He poured probably the equivalent of two drops in his mouth and spit. He did this over and over until he finished the teeny tiny cup of fluoride (probably two teaspoons worth). When he finished, I told him that I was proud of him for trying and for being big. With a tear dripping down his cheek he said, "I told you it was not fun, Momma, I told you." Afterwards, I showed him some videos on YouTube of kids at the dentist. He was incredibly interested and wanted to keep watching - and didn't seem afraid. That was taking a chance I guess, but I do want him to know exactly what's going to happen so he doesn't needlessly work himself up over what could happen. All the while, my neighbors were probably on the phone calling CPS judging from the screams heard through the wall. Between these sort of episodes and the night terrors he used to have on a regular basis, there's no telling what my neighbors could think.
Sooo, despite his fear of new things, he's a really good little boy. I love him, I do. It's always an experience. The best is when he discovers something new that he actually does like. I am constantly encouraging him to try things. Hopefully we can get better at overcoming this fear of his. So ... prepare yourself for the story to come. He could be absolutely amazing, or he could be traumatized for life. I did my research though - and this dentist can give him something to relax, if needed. This dentist came recommended, so I hope it's a positive experience. I'll keep my fingers crossed. Until Wednesday...
1 Comments
Silas, you do make life interesting. And E, you are Mr. Personality! Thanks for making my life more fun!
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