Back to the Dentist!

The girls had their second check up with the dentist a few weeks ago, and this visit went just as well as the first!  Well, mostly.  They sat together in the seat again, and they were just as well behaved, and just as cooperative as they were before.  (In Kaylie's case, she was even more cooperative!)  The only shadow over the visit is that Elora has developed a few teensy, tiny cavities.  The dentist and hygienist both assured me that cavities are very common in young children, because the enamel on the baby teeth is much thinner than that on adult teeth, and especially when the teeth are touching, as they do in Elora's mouth.  And I know that I have terrible teeth ( a mouth full of fillings, ew!) and I don't think that Brandon's are much better than mine.  But, I still feel like I've failed my daughter.  We could have been a lot more diligent about tooth-brushing than we were, and what if that had been enough to prevent those cavities?  Am I doing enough to help her develop the necessary habits to keep her mouth healthy in the long-term?  I'm doing my best to squash the doubts and self-recrimination, and channel that energy into stepping up our game at home.  Kicking myself won't help Elora; being diligent about her oral care will.

The dentist advised us to have the cavities filled, and I went ahead and made the appointments to do so.  She said that if left unfilled, those cavities can spread quickly and lead to more serious issues.  Between what she told me, and what I later read online, I feel that our safest bet is to have the teeth filled, even if there is some debate about whether it's really necessary.  And even if I do hate that I'll have to make her go through that awful process.  But, better a few fillings now, than extractions a year or two down the road, right?

Little Vacuum

Elora loves to vacuum.  Anytime I get mine out, she wants to help me, but the thing is a little unwieldy for her, and she's not exactly thorough anyway.  But, who am I to discourage her, when she wants to help?  So I got her one of her own.  :)

It's actually a pretty neat little vacuum.  It's not very strong, but super lightweight.  The floor attachment and long (black) handle can be removed, turning it into a  little hand vac.  It's perfect for her!  Now, "getting" to vacuum is actually an incentive to clean up all of her toys.  It's crazy.  It's fantastic.  And, since she and her sister tend to make a mess on the floor at meal time (and when they're playing with something like moon dough), it's super handy for her to be able to clean up the mess herself.  She has fun, and feels so proud of herself when she's done.  AND I don't have to do it! Really, it's a win-win for everyone involved.

Motor Skills & Sensory Play

In reading my friend's blog, among others, I've come to realize that I've waaaay underestimated what my children can do.  I've set out to remedy that.  Step one: introduce scissors, construction paper, and glue sticks.  

She had a blast with it.  It didn't take her long to move beyone glue-ing with the glue stick to simply playing in the glue.  Who am I to say anything?  I was still playing in glue in sixth grade.  This leads me to step two: sensory play, with oobleck (or gloop, or slime, or whatever you want to call it).  

It's a non-Newtonian fluid (meaning that it doesn't act like normal fluids) made by mixing cornstarch and water.  (Brandon taught me that term, I had to throw it in there.)  We did 1 cup of water and about 1.75 cups corn starch, and a dab of yellow food coloring.  It was kind of a pain to mix because we dumped all the cornstarch into a bowl, then added the water all at once and started mixing.  It's not easy to stir something that gets hard every time you try to pull the whisk through it. At first, I thought that we should have added the corn starch to the water a little bit at a time, but apparently, you're supposed to add the water to the cornstarch a little at a time.

This was another big hit.  It's so neat to play with that stuff.  It's oozes slowly when left alone, but gets hard when you push or squeeze it.  I practically had to drag her away from it, even with the promise of a bath.  Kaylie got bored after only 20 minutes, though, and started throwing globs of it all over the floor.  The good news is that this is stuff is a breeze to clean up.  Just let it dry completely, and it just sweeps away.

So much fun!  We've also been letting Elora play with moon dough, paint, and  Perler beads.  It's keeping her entertained, and helping her master her fine motor skills.  +1 for fun parenting!

PS:  Don't forget about the giveaway!  You have until Friday to win a custom designed printable of your choice from The Green World Shop!

Potty Training: Sweet Success

My poor children.  Are they going to hate me later?

We are finally getting there!  Elora has made the transition to using the potty.  Diapers are a thing of the past, and pull-ups are only for bed time.  She's still having accidents (she always waits until the last minute to say something) but she's getting there.  And, she's finally started putting #2 in the toilet.  Thank the Lord! 

If I had mad skills...

I would illustrate the following exchange in the style of Parenting: Illustrated With Crappy Pictures.

Elora was in the living room. Kaylie was sitting in my lap in the den. 

Elora: "Mama, something-something-something."

Me: "What sweetheart? I can't understand you."

(Elora comes into the den.)

Elora: "Mama, Kaylie is bothering me!"

(surprised silence.)

Me: Elora, Kaylie is sitting right here in my lap. She's been no where near you."

Elora: "No, she's not! She's bothering me!"

Me: sigh.

But I don't have mad skills.  At least, not those mad skills.  So you will just have to use your imagination.  And Momma, I can hear you laughing from here!!