A Trip To The Dentist Via Tight Rope

The biggest part of me is so appreciative when other people compliment my babies on their good behavior when they're in tricky situations. Like the doctor's office.  Or waiting in line.  It makes 99.9% of my heart do a little dance and gives me renewed energy to keep on keeping on.  But it also makes me leery.  And fairly certain that something terrible could happen at any moment.  Kind of the same way I would feel if someone in the audience shouted, "That's amazing!  I can't believe how calmly you're standing there when you're millimeters away from certain death!" to the high-wire walker who is exactly halfway across Niagra Falls.  See that is not a situation that calls for compliments.  There is a delicate dance going on.  One you don't interrupt, or comment on, until it's over and everyone leaves in one piece.  How do I know?  Because I find myself in tight spots like this all the time.  Only no one's life is in danger.  Merely my pride.  And maybe a few ear drums...  Enter our last adventure to the dentist.

We talked about it at length.  All morning.  The kids were excited.  And who wouldn't be?  Our dentist office is ah-mazing.  Totally tricked out for kids.  And super-friendly.  And so, dressed adorably, and excited to be "go-ing to da dentist" we made our way in.  The kids were perfectly agreeable.  They climbed up into the exam chairs and laid back.  They wore the cutesy protective glasses and let strange people put strange things into their mouths with nary a protest.  Addison even used the suction device and let her hygienist carry her all over the office to show her off while waiting on Caden to finish.  And every adult that saw them proclaimed with amazement that these kids were doing better than most ten year olds.  I tried not to envision it, but try as I might the paperwork I was completing couldn't keep me from it.  I knew.  I knew that we were precariously perched on a tiny little wire.  And while it was impressive, we were only halfway home.

The dentist was a tad bit delayed and I just couldn't keep the kids entertained in the chairs any longer.  So I allowed them to get down and play.  Unfortunately the dentist was not delayed for long enough, because I then had to make the kids leave their toys before they were ready.  The kids balked at getting back into the chairs, and I knew things were headed south.  It wasn't a minute later when in the middle of her exam Addison let out a piercing scream so suddenly that the dentist jumped back and asked what he had done.  Honestly, I have no idea.  Probably nothing.  She was just over it.  And felt alone because I was two feet away holding a squirming Caden who wouldn't stay seated.  Her cry made Caden wail.  And then it was on.  Everyone raced to complete both exams as quickly as possible and get this mom with two sobbing toddlers out. of. there. stat.  Before the people in the waiting room got any more uncomfortable.  Unfortunately, the angelic images we created upon our arrival...

... were not the ones we left them with.  But the photos are proof!  The compliments were in fact well-earned.  If only a little too short-lived.