A Trip to the Dentist

Today after school, Julia had an appointment for her teeth cleaning, so we Rowe ladies headed off to the dentist's office all together without even running inside our house to unload Julia's backpack and lunch box.

Julia was her usual obedient self, not even getting upset when she was accidentally intruded upon in the bathroom by a boy who had just puked his fluoride treatment all over himself.  Because the bathroom was then occupied for awhile by the pukey kid, Madeleine was forced to hold her own pee while Julia's cleaning began.  As soon as the bathroom was free, Madeleine and I took off to use it, and we returned to hear the dental hygienist attempting to make conversation with Julia.

HYGIENIST: So, do you have any exciting plans for this weekend?
JULIA: (thoughtful silence)
HYGIENIST: Are you going to do anything fun?
JULIA: Um...probably watch a movie.

Fun times!  Movie watching!  Of course, leave it to Julia to have only one thing on the brain: Harry Potter #3, which she has been begging to watch all week (despite the fact that she has seen it about 10 times already), and which I said had to be a weekend movie because it was too long to watch at 6pm when I had just arrived home from work.

As Julia's cleaning began, the hygienist repeatedly complimented Julia on her wonderful behavior laying still and keeping her mouth wide open.  Since Julia wasn't able to converse in that position, Madeleine took it upon herself to start chatting it up with the hygienist. 

HYGIENIST: So, Julia, you might watch a movie this weekend, and what else do you think you'll do?  Maybe play outside?
MADELEINE: Um, the other day, we played outside and my DAD was swinging around Julia's thing called a HOP-BALL that...that...that...we...we...we...we were BETENDING was called a...a...a... CRYSTAL BALL, and he knocked me UP IN THE AIR and I fell DOWN!

I love it when the kids tell strange authority figures stories that make Ethan or I sound like we're smacking them around. 

Madeleine was also unabashedly vocal about wanting the exciting goodies that Julia, the patient, received, including a brand new toothbrush.  When the kids got to pick the color of their new brush, I realized that I suddenly seem to have no idea who my children are.

Julia chose clear.  CLEAR??  I thought pink was recently replaced by tropical violet as her favorite color.  Yet she decided upon the completely colorless brush.

Madeleine chose blue.  Madeleine claims that pink is her favorite color, and almost obsessively chooses pink for everything.

Who are these kids?!?

Madeleine was also the lucky recipient of a ginormous balloon (you long-time readers have heard about these balloons in several older posts.)  Madeleine had been asking about the balloon well before it was time to get one, while Julia's teeth were still being cleaned.

MADELEINE: But Mama?  When do I get my balloon?
HYGIENIST: Oh, I'll get your balloons when Julia's all done!
MADELEINE: I want PIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINK!

When it was finally time for balloons, the hygienist brought back a slew of colors from which to choose.  Julia picked orange, because it's a Halloween color. 

MADELEINE: I wanna pick!
HYGIENIST: I know you want pink!

Uh-oh.  Serious misunderstanding.  Even though Madeleine had initially asked for pink, by the time she uttered the words "I wanna pick," which the hygienist mistook for "I want pink" AGAIN, Madeleine had changed her mind.

She wanted yellow.

The orange and pink balloons returned a few moments later, and Madeleine dissolved into inconsolable tears.  When the hygienist asked in deep concern what was the matter, I tried to brush off Madeleine's change of heart, but the hygienist insisted upon blowing up a brand new yellow balloon for Madeleine.

Once the visit had concluded and we headed off to our next stop (Julia's swim lesson), Madeleine was suddenly struck by the inequity of the whole situation.

Yes, Madeleine, who had reaped ALL the benefits of a dental visit, from the new toothbrush to the balloon and then the replacement balloon, but WITHOUT having to endure a cleaning, felt compelled to ask, with tear-filled eyes, "But Mama?  Why didn't *I* have my dentist appointment today?"

ME: Because you have your next one in October, after you turn four.
MADELEINE: (bursting into loud, wailing sobs.)

It's a tough life, man.