Growing Pains Chapter 2

Didn't I just post about how much it hurts to watch your kids grow up and move on in life?? Did I not make it clear enough that I can only handle so much of it at one time??? Apparently, the Jenn VooDoo Doll gods are at it again, poking me and prodding me!

My Little Princess has been diligently working at getting her first tooth to come loose. My little girl is brave and strong. I know that about her and had no doubt that this adventure would be as painless as possible. For those that know me and my past history with teeth pulling in this family - referring to the oldest here - you know that Princess's attitude to tooth pulling is a far cry from what I'm used to. Yes, my oldest is a little afraid of pain. Luckily, his first tooth fell out when he was brushing his teeth so I got away with something at that point. Of course, I didn't realize that at the time. Each subsequent tooth was an act of horror and death. Let's go over the facts - he's been paid to have someone pull his tooth that was literally hanging from a thread, he's been talked through pain therapy with my sisters and myself looking on and believe it or not, he's been locked in a room by himself until the deed has been done. Don't get me wrong, I'm not some sort of pain mongral trying to make my kid strong, making him do these things on his own. He is so afraid of the pain, that he can't think of anything else. I have always been there to comfort him and walk him through it but at some point, he's got to deal with it on his own. We've been successful, they've all come out in time and he hasn't been damaged in the process.

So, you have to imagine with my second child coming up on tooth pulling years, I'm just a little nervous. And like I said, she views pain differently. I knew her tooth had been loose for a while and have been encouraging her to wiggle it and so forth. She's allowed me to help her in the wiggling and twisting process (the twisting is the key here to those first time parents). Tonite when I picked her up from gymnastics, she informed me that she could bend her tooth all the way back with her tongue. At that point, I knew it was time. I was a little nervous, probably more nervous than she. She wiggled and wiggled and wiggled. Her little fingers twisted and twisted and twisted. But those little twiggy muscles just couldn't pull it out. So, the big guns had to come in and pull it out. It took one twist and VOILA, it was out! No bribery, no pay offs, no pain therapy, no locking her in her room. 'Just take a deep breath and it will be over in a sec!' And now my little Princess is toothless.

"Do you think the Tooth Fairy will bring me $50?"

"I don't know dear."

"Well, if she can't, $40 will be fine."

That's my Princess.

I could never understand the piece of advice that was given to me when Jake was just a toddler, "Don't blink, my dear.", an elderly woman had said to me. And now, all I want to do is curse those Blink gods and beg for more time. Gabi graduating from Cubbies, Princy loosing her first tooth, Jake . . what's next for you?? College??

The bloody mess

All cleaned up and very proud!

Growing Pains

I think that one of the greatest joys of being a mom is watching your kids grow up and flourish. That joy can also be very bittersweet. On the one hand, you want your kids to hit milestones and to grow but on the other hand it also means that their time with you is slowly ticking away and before you know it, they will be 18 and hopefully college bound and out on their own. I guess I am reminded of this more and more as my sister is going through the torture of watching her newborn little Camille hit milestones and start that bittersweet process of growing up. She calls me upset about having to put baby clothes away and move up to the next size, about moving the straps on her carseat because she is getting to tall, her excitement and sadness of her daughter rolling over onto her stomach, having to put those little baby 4 ounce bottles away and bringing out the big guns - the 8 ounce ones. She asks me if it was hard for me when my kids were infants to takes these steps in the growing process. And I am instantly reminded of that bittersweetness that I also experienced for each one of my kids.

At the time she called, I had just experienced one of these moments with my youngest daughter. And through the busyness that my life seems to be generating at this moment, I had forgotten to share with her. My kids have been regular attenders of the AWANA program since my oldest was 3 years old. It is sort of like a Christian boy/girls scouts - instead of learning to survive in the wilderness, you learn to survive in the world equipped with Bible verses and morals/values teaching. The club is divided by age group, the Cubbies being the group for 3 and 4 year olds. Both Jake and Olivia went through this program and have moved on to the upper level. Gabi just completed her second year and will move up a level next year to join Olivia in the Kindergarden-2nd grade level-Sparks. This was also our first year in this church as we had gone through the programs through another church when we were in OH. I was shocked to find out that this church actually had a ceremony for those kids moving up levels. I looked at my husband and warned him that this was going to make me cry. They had the kids that were graduating line up and shake the hands of their teachers and then walk across a bridge to the awaiting teachers for the next level and shake their hands. Oh, my, that almost ripped my heart out. I have had a little one in Cubbies since Jake was 3 and now, no more Cubbies. "I NEED ANOTHER CUBBIE!!!", I told my husband.

So, Em, get used to these growing pains. They hurt and they are painful. But I always keep in mind that they are growing and flourishing because of me because of my love, care and teaching. It is something to be proud of!

Walking the Bridge

Shaking Hands with her New Teachers (she is at the far left)

My AWANA Kids