Friday, April 15, 2016

7 Quick Takes about Reaching Dental Nirvana, Breaking a Family Heirloom, and Abstract Paintings of Tractors

It's 7 Quick Takes Friday! How was your week?

1


Ugh, I am SO TIRED. What do you call creatures that aren't nocturnal, aren't diurnal, but sleep until 3 AM, wake up to go to the bathroom, and then lie awake for hours and feel exhausted for the rest of the day? Because I'm that.

I've always thought this was the cruelest joke of the third trimester of pregnancy: you can't even get caught up on sleep before you're going to be up all night with a newborn.

2


I had a really exciting trip to the dentist this week, and I'm not even being sarcastic.

I had a small cavity, and got a filling with something called "air abrasion." As my dentist explained to me, you blast out the decay with cold air and powder instead of doing the whole shot of Novocaine and drilling routine.

The pros:
  • No needle in my gums
  • No numbness (and by that I mean no drooling the first time I try to eat or drink anything)
  • No watching smoke rising from my mouth as they drill and trying to pretend it's totally no big deal

It was absolutely painless and I was in and out of there in 20 minutes. And did I mention the lack of shrieking drill sounds and freaky smoke coming out of my mouth?

3


The kids broke the piano, which I suppose was bound to happen eventually despite our "no pounding" rule.

It's 7 Quick Takes Friday! How was your week?  {posted @ Unremarkable Files}
The culprit: a broken hammer.

When a few of the keys stopped working, Phillip immediately started taking the piano apart. That's the difference between us. When something breaks, his first impulse is to dismantle it and figure out why, and mine is not to touch it and yell at anyone who does in case we break it more.

It's 7 Quick Takes Friday! How was your week?  {posted @ Unremarkable Files}

It's 7 Quick Takes Friday! How was your week?  {posted @ Unremarkable Files}
Sticker inside informed us the piano was last tuned in 1974... maybe it's time for some maintenance, anyway.

I think that's also why he wants to understand how the Internet works and I'm completely satisfied with the explanation, "It's just magic, okay?"

4


At my last midwife appointment I got my the-end-is-nigh ultrasound to check the position of the baby, and everything looks good. We are clear for takeoff.

At the beginning of the ultrasound, the tech asked "Do you know if this is a boy or a girl?"

As many of you know, I didn't want to know the gender but Phillip did, and the kids have been on-and-off hounding him ever since to let them in on the secret. "I won't tell Mom!" they claim.

Liars.

Phillip has just started telling them he forgot, so they'll stop asking.

Anyway, when the tech asked "Do you know if this is a boy or a girl?" my 4-year-old piped up and said, "Only Dad knew, but then he forgot."

She'd probably never heard that one before.

5


This week I've had two Twilight Zone moments with the kids where I walk away confused, not sure exactly what happened but pretty sure I must've done something right:

First, I went to a doctor's appointment leaving the 3 oldest kids home. The deal was if they finished their homework and chores by the time I got home I'd take them to the library, which is like telling normal kids you'll fly them to Disneyland. When I walked in the door they were frantically working together to finish the last one's chore of unloading the dishwasher. Teamwork!

Second, while I was browsing recipes on Pinterest planning our meals for the week, the kids pointed to a picture of brussels sprouts and yelled, "That! Can we have that?" I said, "Hmm, I don't know if brussels sprouts would go with any of the meals I already planned...." They were like, "Please, please, please!"

I know you think I'm making this up, but I'm not. Apparently brussels sprouts can be pretty disgusting depending on how you make them (I don't know, I was always scared to try them before I was 30,) but Phillip makes the best brussels sprouts you've ever had.

So it's not as weird as it sounds. But I guess it's still pretty weird.

6


My 4-year-old proudly brought me this picture of a tractor she painted.

It's 7 Quick Takes Friday! How was your week?  {posted @ Unremarkable Files}
Still not sure how this is a representation of a tractor, even after she explained it to me.

"How did you decide to paint a tractor?" I asked her. Since we are not farm people and it's quite possible she's never even seen a tractor except in books, this was pretty random.

"My brain," she told me. "My brain said 'tractor.' So I did a tractor."

Fair enough.

7


The weather has been warming up lately and we had one of those perfect days yesterday where Phillip took all the kids outside and they were playing basketball together in the driveway.

Since my kids would, 99 times out of 100, choose to sit inside and read, watching them all get out and spontaneously do something active was a nice surprise.

Then I heard my daughter saying, "Can we play Minecraft now, Dad? We all did 10 baskets."

Never mind. Bribery, now that I would have expected.

Click to Share:
Unremarkable Files

12 comments:

Moonofsilver said...

I've only been in the third trimester once, but I slept wonderfully. I know, I know. Did I mention my doctor told me I have the largest bladder he's ever seen? No joke. This is probably why I didn't wake up three thousand times to pee. 😂😂

Unknown said...

So funny! But seriously, what's up with that third trimester insomnia? I did get so much done in those pregnancies, though...

Jenny said...

Seriously, this is the worst my pregnancy insomnia has been. And anything can wake you up. Charley horse, bathroom break, heartburn, kids falling out of bed, snoring husband, barking dog. Anything. And then you sit for 3 hours and as soon as you happen to doze off the alarm goes off for your husband to get up and go to work.

Katy said...

My boss is a pediatrician and always told me the lack of sleep in the 3rd trimester was nature's way of preparing you not to sleep anyway when the baby comes. Good times. Whatever.

Love the tractor! Very abstract.

Always another good giggle here, Jenny.

AnneMarie said...

Haha oh Jenny, this post just makes me really want to hang out with you and your family :) The library thing sounds so much like when I was growing up! Going to the library to get new books really was like getting to go to a theme park! (It still feels like that many times) I'm so excited that everything is going well for you and the little baby! I will be praying for all of you as you finish off pregnancy and go through childbirth! :)

Michelle said...

Your kids and I have the exact same reaction to the library. I still shudder when I think about that third trimester insomnia. There were nights I slept more with a newborn.

Queen Mom Jen said...

Only Dad knew! Hah that is hilarious! Your family is a hoot :)

Unknown said...

So did the technician give you a look or did you give her a wink and a nod? Very funny.

Jenny Evans said...

I DO sleep more with a newborn, which is precisely why this is killing me so much!

Jenny Evans said...

Every time. I wish there was some sort of silent alarm that could wake Phillip up without waking me up, too... shock collar, maybe? Just kidding.

Jenny Evans said...

I envy you. Consider donating your body to science someday so scientists can isolate the "big bladder" gene and encourage it in the rest of society. That would really come in handy for almost all mothering situations I can think of!

Jenny Evans said...

It was one of those moments where a kid says something no one else understands so I just pretend it didn't happen. Which happens a lot.