Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Marin Dentist Visit

Marin has about a dozen cavities. We originally scheduled to address them in August, but then my insurance got screwed up, and then my job got screwed up, so we had to postpone everything until this week.

A little backstory here. Marin has told us the only food at her house was bread, tea, and soda. At first, this was shocking, but the more we thought about it, it makes sense. They are poor, so all they can afford to eat is bread. The water is not potable, unless you boil it to make tea. Coke and Pepsi are ubiquitous and everyone knows it will not cause illness. Imagine what the acid of tea, the sugar and acid of soda, and the starches of bread do to little teeth that are poorly maintained anyway. Yeah, awful.

Now back to the story. Marin is up in the dentist chair just hamming it up having a great time. The dentist (who happens to be my cousin) is just yukking it up right along with her. When Marin opens up wide to laugh, Deanna daps a little topical at the back of her jaw. A few minutes later, with Marin laughing again, snuck the novocaine in. Marin never even had a clue until her cheek started to feel tingly. She was so cute.

Drill and fill. Drill and fill. Five times and we're done.

Marin sits up in the chair and flashes her gigantic smile, but the right side of her face was paralized from the novocaine. It was the funniest thing ever. Deanna and I were peeing our pants. Even Marin, after we showed her in the mirror, was laughing.

On the ride home Marin asked to be rewarded for being a good girl at the dentist. She wanted a chocolate ice cream cone. If you've ever drive Route 1 between Rockland and Bath, you know there is an ice cream stand about every hundred feet. So Marin sees dozens of pictures of ice cream cones and asks me why we are not stopping. Well, it's October and they're all closed. Marin does not believe that and is about to throw a fit.

"Daddy. Not fair. I was good girl. I need ice cream. You told me yes. I'm not your friend anymore." and on and on and on.

Finally, in Wiscassett, there was this little general store with an old fashioned ice cream fountain inside. Marin sat up high on the round red stool, proud as a peacock. (by the way, I am suddenly her friend again). She orders chocolate ice cream but (oh oh) they are out of chocolate. Total long face. Then the lady explains she can put some oreo cookies in the vanilla to make it look like chocolate. Marin lit up like a christmas tree.

Marin was adorable sitting up on the stool eating her oreo cookie ice cream with chocolate sprinkles on top. What a great kid she is.

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Big Sister Power

I was so proud of Marin today the way she deftly outwitted another child who was taking advantage of her. We were on a class field trip to Chipmans Pumpkinland, a big farm that re-invents itself every October as a Halloween theme park for kids. It really is pretty cool.

I was assigned to Marin and two other girls I'll call Kay and Em. Em is a very pretty blond with big brown eyes who changes from charming and lovable to bossy and sassy and back on a dime - a potential future mean girl. So naturally, she is the ringleader of my little brood.

The three of them run off to play on a wooden train set.

Em proclaims "We need a driver" and Marin and Kay both raise their hands to be the driver.
Em chooses Kay to be the driver.
Then Em says "We need a baby to ride in the passenger car" so Marin volunteers to do that, and Em says "No, I'll be the baby."
Marin gets this look on her face like "What can I do?" and Em, sensing this, says in a flip tone "Oh, why don't you just ride in the back".

I believe Em is too young to have meant anything racial by this, but the hair went up on the back of my neck and I'm thinking "Birmingham. That little bitch".

Marin nonchalantly says "How bout I ride in the back and be the big sister?" Em dismisses Marin with "Fine, be the big sister."

Suddenly Marin starts bossing Em around. "Sit on your bottom. Hands on lap. No crying. etc"

Em looks at Marin and says "Why are you bossing me?" and Marin replies "I'm the big sister and you're just the baby, so you have to do what I say." Em gets this "Shoot, I did not see this coming" look on her face and just sits there and sulks.

Marin flashes a grin over at me as if to say "Don't worry about me, Dad. I can handle myself pretty well in kindergarden."

Sunday, October 7, 2007

Finally Forward

Last week was a big week for Emmy, we finally turned her car seat around so she could face forward. You should have seen her rolling up the driveway forward for the first time. She looked like Miss America, all smiles, with a little look of awe on her face, and gently waving to us out the window.

She was just giddy at finally seeing what she had been missing all along. And what a chatterbox.

"You mean this is the way to school?"
"I can see red light green light now"
"Show me Dunkin Donuts"
"Is that Marin's school bus?"
"Mama, count the school buses with me"
"I see my house! That my house, right?"

And on and on and on. She is so much fun.

The Bone

I listen to this radio station WBNE-FM "106.7 the bone". (I know, stupid, but I didn't invent it).

Anyway, one day Marin is in the back seat just bopping away while 'the bone' is playing on the radio. So I look at her in my rearview, she's smiling all over the place, and I asked her "Marin, do you like the bone?"

She looks at me like I've lost my mind and replies "Why? Can't eat it." Everything still comes back to food for her.