Tooth Fairies, Big Boy beds, and Elephant Ankles...Oh My!!

A recent family portrait (thanks to the camera timer).

It displays us perfectly....in all our splendor.

Titles are sometimes challenging for me & since I have two little peanuts growing inside me sucking out all my brain power-the creativity of the blog entry title has suffered tremendously. Sorry about that, I'm hoping it returns along with my old ankles. What a great seg-way into the current status of my ankles. I could call them "kankles" (a combo of ankles and knees), but I think I surpassed that look around week 32 of the pregnancy. I'll try to take a picture to document them, but they may frighten you. They startled me the other day when I was putting my socks on (a challenge in and of itself, but that's for another blog post...and another lackluster title). As I was finagling my sock, I realized I didn't recognize my own foot/leg. It was like an out of body experience and I was helping, struggling, to put someone else's sock on. What's more disconcerting is that my swelling is confined to mainly one leg. What in the world?!? I know many women swell during pregnancy, this is my first time & I am not a fan-not a fan at all.

Besides growing kankles, it has been busy around here. Titus has moved into a Big Boy Bed. We decked it out with "ball" covers to make it more appealing. It worked. We also cheer like crazy Raider fans every time he steps near it-he thinks we're cool when we do that, and so, that makes him think his bed is cool too. Funny what gets kids to do things. We are big cheerers over here. When our kids were 1 or close to 1 and just starting to eat big people food, every time they'd eat broccoli or black beans we'd instantly break out cheering and clapping, before they'd even chewed & the next thing we knew they were clapping too & eating whatever gross vegetable we were trying to get them to like. I'm fan of cheering, not a fan of kankles & if my family starts cheering for my kankles---I won't think it's very funny & I certainly won't think they are cool!

(here is Big Son's Big Boy bed with Max keeping it warm)

The last major event has been Emma losing her teeth. She has lost two now and at 7 years old we had almost begun to pray that God would loosen her teeth b/c she had been the only one in her class to have all her baby teeth. We discovered that that was near traumatic for a 2nd grade girl. There are many ways of losing a tooth: the dentist, a yank with pliers, the old tie floss around it and tie the floss to the door and slam it approach. Emma is the type of tooth loser that prefers for the tooth to be almost out before she takes it out. The sight of those two teeth were driving us all nuts. Seeing it dangle there and twist in circles. So out of desperation, every night Brian decided to throw out a deal. The deal would expire at bedtime. One might he was feeling like a high roller and threw out $5 if she could get it out. No luck. Brian is a good tooth puller, but his fingers are too big. I don't have the stomach for it. Titus is merely a watcher. But Addie-my girl who talks big game, but walks cautiously, now she's got talent in the tooth pulling arena. Emma would actually let her try too-isn't sisterly love cute. One night for over a 1/2 an hour Addie tugged and twisted on that thing. For a while, she even sported the nifty head lamp my mom & dad got her for Christmas. The deal that night was Emma gets $3 and Addie gets $2 if the tooth is out. Close, but no cigar and they went to sleep penniless, but Emma with a MUCH looser tooth. The next night at dinner, I decided to employ scare tactics, b/c I am all talk like Addie. I told Emma she might swallow her tooth one of these days if she doesn't get it out! She didn't like that thought and Addie was backing me up-getting in her ear about it like only Addie can (we can't wait until it's her turn to loose a tooth-Emma especially is counting down the days for that one). Brian threw in a $2 deal. Moments later the tooth was out. With sheer joy and extreme jubilation Emma began dancing around the table with her tooth. While Emma was singing her praises Addie was having a weeping and gnashing of teeth moment. Emma was so overjoyed and Addie was on the ground crying and wailing...."Now I'm the only one in this house who doesn't have ANY money!! I don't even have one quarter!! Why couldn't you let me pull your tooth out Emma, now I have no money." We were momentarily torn how to respond-do we side with the joy of victory or the agony of defeat? Brian & I looked at each other and just laughed-VICTORY! We did take a little time to console Addie...she bounced back quickly b/c Emma asked the tooth fairy in her letter to give Addie a hug and to please leave her the same gift that she got. The tooth fairy kindly obliged.

Here are the two teeth in their tooth fairy jars complete with glitter & fancy water. The jar starts out with only clear water, until the tooth fairy get her hands on it and makes it all fancy.


Sisterly love. The tooth fairy loves sisterly love...
The funny thing is Addie has no money b/c she gave it all to Emma to help her raise money for her American Girl doll. We thought that bold move of generosity showed she didn't grasp the meaning of having money, that is, until the tooth deal happened. The tooth fairy knows good hearts when she sees them and now everyone in the house has a quarter, except for Titus, but he has a very cool Big Boy bed, a sister with two lost teeth & a mom with an abnormally large right kankle-what more could a kid want?