Monday, January 21, 2013

Smile!

January has kind of sucked, and not even for the usual reasons. I think it all started when I took the kids to the dentist (yay!) and found out Anna had eight cavities (boo!). One in each baby molar, in the spaces where one can't see/brush. I'd like to pass the buck and agree with the dentist that it's (partly) because her teeth are so close together. But frankly I have not pushed the flossing. It's hard enough to brush their teeth. And I figured... they're baby teeth! Come on! I didn't have cavities in my baby teeth. Well, not ones that we saw until the teeth popped out. Curse you, x-rays.

So $2800 to fix. Needless to say I have a second opinion scheduled for this week. What a pain. And so much regret. Maybe we should have sprung for dental insurance. And surely we should have flossed more regularly. On top of that, I'll bet you anything that Isaac's teeth will be rife with cavities, given his shockingly deep molar grooves. Not that we'll ever know, I suppose. Isaac hates dentists. HATES them, thanks to the less than tactful dental hygenists that he observed working on Anna's teeth back in Colorado. This time, in the friendly and patient confines of the pediatric dental office, he showed some improvement. Although he made the dentist sit in the examination chair, while he himself sat in the doctor's chair in my lap, he actually opened just enough to let the dentist count his teeth. $200 for that honour.

As a counter to this staggering financial news, the shock of being here has worn off. I am in Maryland, dear readers. A year ago, Jon was still securely positioned in Colorado, and now I am in a town home with no yard, no family, and no close friends. And it's dark in this town home, people. Why would anyone paint dark tones inside a home with such little natural light? I cannot fathom the reason. But we bought more lamps today. Maybe that will help.

So, it's been a struggle this month. We are homesick. We miss our families and friends. We miss our old life.

And I hesitated to write about this and come across as all complain-y, since both Jon and I are really trying hard to work on contentment and to be aware of where the Lord is leading. I am often reminded that God's timing is not our own, and what really is important can be unexpected or at least against our natural grain.
patience patience contentment.
patience patience contentment.

The best solution for self pity is to list what one is thankful for. Here is a brief list. A few things we thank God every day for:
(1) Jon has a job. So many people don't. This is not to be downplayed.
(2) Our marriage is strong. I was appropriately reminded that this should not be taken for granted.
(3) Our kids are healthy. Yes, they are catching every. single. virus. that comes along, but overall they are healthy and strong.
(4) Our extended family is supportive. We both have amazing families that care about our lives and what's going on, and are willing to provide support and advice.
(5) We've found a church full of people that love the Lord. It's not a perfect church, of course. After all, they let us attend.
(6) It's cheaper to fly to Calgary from Baltimore than Denver. Go figure.
(7) We have a good place to live. Yes, we've invested in more lamps. But it's a good space and cozy and clean and safe.
(8) Today is MLK day. Important for many big reasons. But one small reason was that this extra day gave me a minute to sit down and write out what I am thankful for.

1 comment:

  1. Uggggggggh, teeth issues... We have had our share of them, although never 8 at once, and the only time our bill topped $1k was when Violet had to be sedated for those cavities they found when she was just 2. Anyway, SUCH misery, and I feel like the world of dentistry is so weirdly different from regular medicine, I guess because so much of it is cash instead of insurance.

    We never flossed before that one visit when Violet had her first cavities (age 2) and Grace had multiple cavities as well (age 4 or 5, I guess) but now we are religious about it. I recommend those disposable flosser things you can buy; they are MUCH easier to get into a tiny toddler mouth.

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