Aligners

After weeks of waiting, Robby's aligners arrived yesterday. He has been self-conscious about the gap between his front teeth for years, although he only revealed his insecurities recently. I've always found his gap adorable and charming, but if it is something that bothers him we wanted to help him find a solution. After lots of research and consultations, we opted to go with the invisible liners treatment option.

Over Easter break he had a 3-d scan of his teeth and mouth captured and sent to the lab. Yesterday afternoon, after nearly a month, his aligners finally arrived. He was excited to open the box and get started.

Unfortunately, his excitement waned as soon as he felt the discomfort of the aligners. Similar to braces and other orthodontic treatments, Invisible aligner treatment is not pain-free. As his teeth are gently shifted into a new position, his mouth will be sore. I am hoping that the discomfort is short lived, because my Koopa was miserable last night. 

In four months, Robby should have a brand new smile. My goodness I am going to miss his little gap. But I'm certainly looking forward to him feeling more confident. It will be nice to have him smile (for real) in photos again!

 

Screeching

My leg is squeaking. Not an occasional little squeak, but something akin to fingernails across a chalkboard. Each step emits a loud screech which lasts as long as the foot is weighted. It sounds like cicadas are being tortured as I walk around the house!

At first the screech was annoying. After several weeks, the annoyance has grown and has since morphed into aggravation. It has gotten to the point where I have to stay as still as possible when the boys are live streaming classes because of the unnerving sounds.

A de-laminated foot is the culprit of my cicada screaming foot. I am in the process of getting a new prosthesis, and I'm hoping that it happens sooner rather than later. In the meantime, I won't be sneaking up on anybody!

Butterflies

Yesterday we had another exciting day in our house. Two of Timmy's caterpillars popped out of their cocoons, stretching their wings for the first time. I was making dinner at the time when I noticed the cocoons start to shake on their perch. I called out Timmy, and we were able to watch the miracle of butterfly "birth."

Timmy was amazed as he watched the butterflies emerge. I wish I had a video, because his offering encouragement to the butterflies was absolutely adorable. "Come on little guy. You can do it. I believe in you. Stretch the wing a little bit more. I know you can do it. Yay! You are born. Happy Birthday Butterfly."  He then followed his coaching by serenading his butterflies with a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday to you. 

I'm not sure which was more impressive: watching the butterflies emerge or witnessing Timmy's reaction. 

 

Water Class

Yesterday was an exciting day for Timmy. The stars (and schedules) finally aligned, allowing him to enjoy his very first in-person class. Several weeks ago I signed him up for the "Science in the Park" through our county recreation board. The series of four classes ended up being a single experience due to low enrollment. Thankfully, yesterday's class met the minimum participant requirement to proceed. 

My typically outgoing and confident little boy became shy and nervous as we drove up to the class. I knew that he was excited, but also scared. Because this was a class and not daycare, I had to stay on site throughout the two hour experience. He initially clung to me but, after about 20 minutes, he acclimated and really didn't give me a second thought.

The class involved learning about the water cycle and aquatic animals. He enjoyed the games that were played and interacted beautifully with his classmates. I saw both the relief and pride wash across his face when he called out the correct answers to his teacher's questions. It was great seeing him with his peers!

There is no doubt that his favorite part of the class was the creek exploration experience. He grabbed his net and walked into the creek like he was a boss. He wasn't about to let the cold temperature (the water clocked a whopping 51 degrees) stop him from his mission of finding an aquatic animal. While all of the other kids were hanging around the shore, mine was waist high catching craw fish and baby salamanders. 

Despite his only having one class instead of four, he had a great time. Hopefully the pandemic will continue to fade so we can do more of these experiences.

 

Celebration Saturday

Between Timmy's birthday and Robby's performance, Saturday we were in full-blown celebration mode. Friday even was hectic as I prepped and prepared for the birthday/ performance party. Between cleaning and decorating the house and wrapping presents, I was exhausted by the time I finally went to bed. Even though I was tuckered out, my efforts were worth it when I saw the smile on Timmy's face when he woke up on Saturday.

My sweet little Hamlet thoroughly enjoyed his 7th birthday. He was surrounded by love and completely spoiled throughout the day. Between enjoying his favorite meals, ripping through a small mountain of presents and spending time with his Nana, I don't think he could have asked for a better day. 

Even though it was Timmy's birthday, I wanted to make sure that Robby's band performance was not overlooked. He worked hard for the past few months and deserved to shine on stage. I was so glad that my Mom made it down for the show. I know that having her in the audience meant a lot to him. 

Looking around my house Saturday night, it was impossible to tell that I had spent the previous night cleaning. Bits of wrapping paper, decorations and toys littered my previously clean floors. I spent most of Sunday uncluttering my house from the celebrations on Saturday.