Growing Girl!

Amelia woke up with a fever today; 101.4 - not really that high for her, but no daycare:( I gave her a Motrin and asked if she wanted to go to Grandmas...no luck. I really should have known something was up when she took a 4 hour nap yesterday and went to bed earlier than normal last night.
I decided to take her to the doctor, just to be safe. Generally if she has a temp and is still acting sick after Motrin it's viral, but when she acts fine then it's an infection.

Today after the Motrin kicked in, she got most of her energy back, so I assumed she had an ear infection or something. I took her into the doctor and - WRONG! Ears clear, sinus clear, she did have some ick on her throat, so they did a strep test, negative - VIRAL! We came home and she took another LONG nap while I did some work.
She hasn't had any Motrin for at least 6 hours now and I think the fever is gone, but Grandma is on stand-bye for tomorrow just in case!

Since we were at the doctor anyway I asked the nurse to measure her - she's been growing like a weed. She's up to 42 1/4 inches - but still only 35 pounds. Basically she's grown 3 inches and 3 pounds since her 4-year physical in October. Don't kids usually grow during the summer? If how much she's been eating is any indication, she'll be up at least another inch by her next physical!

Amelia bellied up to the food table with her buddy Riley at the shower yesterday. I think she ate 3 plates of Chinese noodles, 3 mini cupcakes, 6 mini cheesecakes, and 3 pounds of vegetables!

First Lost Tooth!

 

Amelia has had a lot of teeth filled in the short time she's been going to the dentist. Luckily she is a real trooper and does great in the dentist chair! Earlier this month we went to the dentist for our 6 month check-ups and found that Amelia had MANY more issues than she has had in the past.

We went back a few days later and she had a crown put on on one of the least affected teeth. Dr. G. wanted to do a little work the first time he gave her Novocaine to see how she'd tolerate it, and she did great. About a week later we went back for the BIG visit, this was the hardest visit on me. Dr. G. had to take care of the two teeth that had the abscess. They were right next to each other. Each of them required a Pulpectomy which is essentially a root canal on a baby tooth. Dr. G. then had to cap each of the teeth. I think this was the most painful part of the process as it took a LONG time to get the caps cut down to the right size for her little tiny teeth. I would have been exhausted after a trip like that - Amelia wanted to go to school.

Our last visit to the dentist (for at least 5 months, keeping fingers crossed) was last Monday. Amelia was going to have a tooth pulled. This one was small enough that if her other teeth start coming in crooked, Dr. G. can put a spacer in to hold the spot until her permanent tooth grows in. I wasn't worried about this visit as Dr. G. has pulled my teeth (prior to my 2nd round with braces) and I knew he would be gentle. Amelia was VERY nervous! We talked about the Tooth Fairy coming, and her cousins got her a neat book about the Tooth Fairy with a little purple pouch to put her tooth in. I bought her "The Tooth Book" and We talked about how it would feel funny, and maybe sound weird, but it wouldn't hurt.

A few days before she had the tooth pulled Amelia put her little purple pouch under her pillow without my knowledge. The Tooth Fairy left her a note that said, "You tricked me, I only come to houses where children have lost their teeth. I will come back when you have a tooth for me." Amelia was shocked! The day to have her tooth pulled finally came - she was fine leaving the house and kept talking about how the Tooth Fairy was coming that night to bring her a present. I kept reminding her that the Tooth Fairy only brings a little money.

Dr. G. numbed up her mouth and started waiting for the Novocaine to kick in. I asked him if the development of her permanent teeth was appropriate for her age and he said just by the x-rays it looked like it. He also said the longer it took for them to come in the better! When her mouth was finally numb he started working on her - Amelia was making A LOT of noise; yet I could tell she couldn't feel anything. Dr. G. stopped to make sure she was numb; she was. I said, "I don't think she can feel it, I think she's just afraid it's going to hurt." Amelia replied, "Yeah the second one." Dr. G. proceeded and got the tooth out. I couldn't believe how decayed it was!!!

Dr. G. thinks, as I do, that Amelia's bad teeth are a combination of poor prenatal nutrition, poor nutrition as a baby, bottle propping, and likely hereditary bad teeth (I have that problem too!) all made worse by teeth grinding. He really hopes that her permanent teeth will come in much healthier, but if they don't we'll deal with that when the time comes. When she gets older we can also get her a mouth guard to wear to stop the teeth grinding if that doesn't stop on it's own.

Amelia felt better pretty quickly after her tooth came out. She was more numb than before and was drooling everywhere! I was glad I made the appointment for the end of the day, so we could come home and she could relax. She was excited to go to bed that night...she put her tooth under her pillow. Tuesday morning when I woke her up she was looking all over the bed for her present - I reminded her that the Tooth Fairy only brings a little money. Then she looked for her purple bag - and was excited to find a $2 bill!

It's been a LONG month, but I'm happy it's over, and that I have dental insurance!! Amelia says her mouth feels A LOT better!

How do you respond?

I was just at a baby shower and the hostess was Chinese, but from Singapore. She thanked me 3 times for adopting Amelia and said quietly and only to me "you know what they do to girls there?" I only assume that this woman who was about my age was simply being genuine; but it made me uncomfortable...I never know what to say in circumstances like this.
I don't feel like I adopted because I wanted to do something great for a child; I adopted for me. I am not too proud to admit that...I needed to parent and couldn't justify bringing a child into the world to be raised in a single parent home when there are so many kids who don't have any parents.
Add to that the fact that I have no desire to be pregnant, to carry a child, or to give birth and adoption was really the only option for me.
I was also asked today if I had any children; my reply? "Amelia is my only child." Hello, she's sitting on my lap calling me Mom - YES I have a child!
This was a really nice shower; however, I kept wondering if the people there that didn't know me, thought that I felt sad that I didn't give birth to Amelia - and that being at a baby shower might make that worse. That is SO not the case, I brought Amelia into my family exactly as I wanted to and I am SO SO excited for my friends to be growing their family - in a way that is right for them. I can NOT wait to see how a little girl rocks their world:)

WARNING - RATS!

Last Saturday Amelia and I went to visit her cousins Katie and Jordan. They met us in the yard each holding something that looked suspiciously like a rat. They have a HUGE yard and as I walked from the street closer to the kids I thought, "No way, those are NOT really, they must be Fureal Pets or something" but I could also see them moving - very realistically. Jordan yelled, "We got rats! We found them crawling around the backyard, so we just grabbed them." This normally would have cracked me up, because I am the aunt that isn't afraid of spiders or snakes or mud...but I am HORRIFIED of rats! I don't think I even knew how afraid of them I was until Katie ran up to me carrying one. "We're just babysitting them!" She yelled as she got dangerously close to me. At this point Amelia is already on the front steps playing with the rat in Jordan's hands and I am paralyzed in the middle of the yard.

"Don't come near me, with that thing!" I yelled to Katie. Having no clue how truly scared I was she ran right up to me. Tears formed in my eyes, I could feel the need to get sick coming on. So I walked backward QUICKLY! Tammie called Katie off...told her I was really scared. Katie looked at me in amazement. We proceeded into the house...the kids AND the rats went to the basement. They were cute - I can say that...but they were rats!

I have good reason for being scared of rats, when I was a kid we had a corn field at the end of our street - when they started to build houses in the corn field the rats came to our neighborhood. All I remember was the boards on the bottom of doors, not being able to leave the dog food on the floor of the garage as normal and being VERY VERY scared. This experience obviously haunts me...my sister said she's grossed out by them too, but she could get passed it. NOT ME!
Amelia on the other hand LOVED them. Right before we left she went to say good-bye to the rodents...I stood outside the playroom as Tammie took pictures. Jordan came around the door - with the rat in his hands....I SCREAMED! Katie laughed her HEAD OFF! My brother-in-law, Mike just shook his head. IT WAS TIME TO GO HOME! Amelia knew the rats were going home the next day. She wanted to go see them again...obviously we didn't!

*If the photos or collage look funny, it's because I basically did it with my eyes closed...

Reminiscing...

Today, when I heard that Michael Jackson died - my thoughts went not to his music - but to a friend I lost a LONG time ago.

When I was in Kindergarten, in Catholic School, we went to Mass EVERY Friday...more during lent. You can imagine that I had trouble sitting still with no parental supervision - and was easily influenced. So when Kelly who was sitting next to me nudged me during mass of course I followed RIGHT along. The Priest said, "We lift up our hearts." and Kelly and I responded by standing HIGH on the kneeler and loudly proclaiming, "We lift them up to the world!" Really quite harmless, unless your big sister happens to see you and tells your Mom and you get talked to when you get home from school. I'm actually glad I got in trouble, otherwise I may not have that memory... Kelly moved away, I don't remember what grade it was and she only moved about an hour away, so one of the girls in my class, Carrie kept in touch with her. It was late in our Senior Year of High School Carrie came to class completely distraught, she and I rarely talked but she sought me out...Kelly AND her little sister had been killed in a car accident. I remember thinking, "They were their Mom's entire world!" She was a single parent and did everything for her girls. I never heard anything more about the accident or the funeral, but since that day EVERY time we get to that point in Mass - I remember that day when two little Kindergartners got in trouble and I say a prayer for Kelly.

I only have one other distinct memory of Kelly...it is of one of her birthday parties. It must have been about 1983, Michael Jackson's Thriller hadn't been out long. We were up really late watching MTV counting how many times the video came on. I was the odd duck in the group - I didn't like Michael Jackson, I did however think the video was about the coolest thing I'd ever seen (still do!). At about 3 a.m. some of the girls decided to walk to the gas station to get candy, life was VERY different in those days. It wasn't long before the group came back with the story of a haunted house that they saw on the way to the gas station and the story the gas station attendant told them about it. (I bet that guy was laughing his head off after they left!). Needless to say the rest of the party now had to go see the "Thriller" house...which we did....and ran screaming ALL the way back to Kelly's house - and it wasn't long before the Thriller video came back on TV to scare us again:) Those were the days!

Today as the world mourns the loss of "The Prince of Pop" I am just thankful that talented people like Michael Jackson exist because without him, we wouldn't have those songs that take us back....

Michael Jackson - Clippings...

Now, I did say I wasn't a fan of Michael Jackson; however when I went downstairs looking for a photo of Kelly, which I didn't find. I did find ALL of these clippings in one of my "Star Folders" to say I LOVED music as a kid would be an understatement, just be thankful that Simon LeBon or Nick Rhodes hasn't passed - then I'd REALLY be busy catching you all up on history.

I also must tell you that I am one of those people that keeps NOTHING...so the fact that I still have these folders is an indication of how BIG a part of my life music is...even if I listen to more Veggie Tales and Jolly Phonics than anything else right now.

Predictable?

Last Friday as I was getting dressed for work Amelia said, "WHYYY do you wear the SAME thing EVERY day?" OK so perhaps I do have 4 of the same black shirt with white tank to wear underneath - and another 2 black shirts that look suspiciously like the others; BUT it's easy. No ironing, no matching, no THINKING!
I do have other shirts in my closet, in fact I bought 2 new shirts recently - and they are a COMPLETELY different style - from those black ones...although they were the same as each other, but in a different color.

Am in a RUT or am I just providing an appropriate background for Amelia's adorable outfits?...

Saturday when Amelia was at Chinese school I went on a quest to find at least a few more shirts that were not my typical style...I found them! And they are SHIRTS, not T-Shirts! I got an adorable one at TJ Maxx and ended up ordering 3 from Target on-line because they didn't have my size in either store. Fast forward to Monday Morning...

I was getting dressed and I had a white t-shirt on (not tank!) in an effort to branch out. It was hot, so I was waiting to put on my green cardigan (it's freezing at work) and Amelia said to me, "You forgot your black shirt!" YIKES! If my 4-year-old notices that much, what must my co-workers think?

The Circus

The circus came to town last weekend and put up its tents in a field just down the street from our house. We could see all of the activity from our back deck and drove by the entrance at least twice a day. Now this particular circus raises funds for children's hospitals, that made the fact that attending the money sucking event was unavoidable a little less painful.

My Dad ALWAYS took us to the circus as kids, so it seemed a fitting Father's Day weekend event. It was too hot to go Thursday, Friday it was cancelled because of a huge storm. That left 3 shows Saturday, or a show on Sunday. We decided on the 3 pm show on Saturday - when it was 85 degrees outside!! AND it was an OUTSIDE circus. The tent was only for the snacks. The minute we walked up, Amelia spotted an inflatable slide and went for it. Did it really matter that it cost $5 which I didn't know until she had her shoes off and was on it? They did let her go down several times.
Amelia loved the circus as much as I did as a kid. I appreciated the fact that there were few animals involved, as that's always been a hard thing for me to see...they never look happy:( That said, the pigs at this circus looked REALLY happy and well taken care of - I loved the stylin' sunglasses. Amelia liked it when the mommy pig pushed the baby pig in the stroller.
BY FAR Amelia's favorite part was the magic act where a man and woman could change their clothes in seconds. I kept saying, "How do they do that?" and Amelia kept replying, "It's MAGIC!" I really liked a trampoline/diving board act where this guy kept falling of the board; he was SO funny! What made it even more enjoyable was that Amelia didn't understand that him falling was supposed to be funny and she was really concerned. I finally explained it to her and then she laughed her head off. Little did I know that the act was from the 1930's and was originally developed by the guy who invented the trampoline! That is until I Googled it:)
When intermission finally came around they of course had elephant rides on the sole, sad looking elephant; Amelia rode a pony - HER FIRST and she LOVED it:)

Despite the heat, we had a nice time - and it was really fun to see the circus through Amelia's eyes. She's already asking if we can go again next year - "BUT I DON'T WANT TO GO BY THOSE CLOWNS!" No, the circus didn't cure her phobia.

Father's Day

Father's Day is one of the hardest days of the year for me...it ranks right up there with my Dad's birthday, the day of his death and Valentine's Day, which he always made so special for "his girls." Last year I allowed myself to go purchase Father's Day cards for some of the important men in Amelia's life - I ended up bawling behind a rack at Hallmark and had to hide there until I could compose myself enough to come out. This year I avoided everything Father's Day like the plague...There was however one thing I couldn't avoid...Father's Day at preschool.

I was reading Amelia's school newsletter and it said, "The kids will be making gifts for their father or grandfather." I lost it - started crying...Amelia doesn't have either. Oh she has a first father - somewhere in China who helped bring this wonderful little girl into the world - and we remember him today, but she doesn't have a father or grandfather in her daily life anymore. This CRUSHED me!

Amelia has been talking constantly about her China dad, she even tells her friends that her Dad lives in China, but never makes mention of her Mom in China, so I know she is trying to fill a void. It breaks my heart. I took a note to her teachers letting them know that Amelia may say she wants to make a gift for her Dad in China and explained what that meant - and I suggested that they have her make a gift for one of her uncles if she didn't want to make one for me. To my surprise, Amelia came home with at gift for me on Friday, she let me open it today, an adorable foam picture frame...so glad I get to keep it:)

I may be sad that my Dad is no longer here to celebrate with, but I do know there are many other wonderful men in our lives that Amelia and I need to celebrate today. Each one plays a special role in helping her grow - Even better, each one was touched by my Dad and will help keep his memory alive.

Uncle Mike, (Jason, Jordan and Katie's Dad) puts up with having an "extra wife" quite a bit. He allows Amelia and I to spend MANY Saturdays and Sundays invading his house. He has rescued blankie from unknown locations numerous times - just like Papa, Mike is always available to help in a crisis...he is not however available for pictures:)

Uncle Phil, Amelia's Godfather. My sister married Phil 25 years ago this August. I have actually known him since I was about Amelia's age. He is as much a brother to me as my own. Since Phil has 3 girls - and knows what Grandpa was like when he dated my sister, I'm counting on him to screen Amelia's dates some day. Hopefully we won't have to pay anyone to marry Amelia, like Dad paid Phil to marry Laurie:)
Uncle Dan, my oldest brother...lives too far away and we don't see him often enough, but Dan got to know my Dad longer than any of the rest of us kids...he also knows more funny stories about Dad than anyone. I know he will help Amelia keep her Papa close to her heart.
Uncle Larry, my brother...his role in our lives is HUGE; he helps me with silly questions I used to call my Dad with. The latest: "Is it safe to start my self-starting grill with a lighter?" REALLY! Larry inherited my Dad's brain and ability to fix about anything. He was even able to put Snow White's head back on without Amelia seeing the screw now going into the top of her head! I know that anytime I mention something that needs to be done at my house Larry is going to call to see when he can come over and do it. Needless to say I am careful about mentioning chores around Larry as he also helps my Mom ALL the time! The best thing about Uncle Larry is that he also thinks a lot like my Dad, case in point, I called him to ask if he had an electric sod trimmer so that I can cut out a section of grass for a flower bed; his response? "Yeah it's called a hoe!" Soooo something my Dad would have said. Amelia is amazed with Uncle Larry, just as I was always amazed with my Dad.
Uncle Dave, "The Monkey Boy" has a hugely generous heart! We sure wish he would quit getting transferred so far away, but we know that when we visit him and Aunt Judy in NYC he'll be a wonderful host - as always! If there is one thing I hope Dave can pass on to Amelia it is his passion for music. Although I do occasionally tease him for his taste, I want Amelia to appreciate music as much as he does.
Amelia's Uncle Andy has a special place our hearts. Andy has learned a lot of hard life lessons...I know he will teach Amelia not to make those same mistakes. Andy is also a great example for Amelia of the unconditional love of a family...
Amelia's cousin Jason is keeping the goofy side of Papa alive. Jason has the same fun loving attitude that always attracted people to my Dad. He's in college and when he comes home he always makes Amelia feel special. Whether it's lifting her up so she can make a basket or throwing her in the pool, when Jason has an extra minute he always has time for the "kids" Katie and Jordan and his cousin Amelia.
Amelia's cousin Luke even more than the rest of her Uncles and Cousins - picked up teasing Amelia right where Papa left off. Amelia acts like she hates it, but the minute Luke backs off - she is off tracking him down for more. Perhaps more than anyone Luke carries Papa's spirit with him, and I am certain Amelia sees that in him.
No, Amelia may not have a Dad, or a Grandpa with her today, but she does have MANY wonderful men in her life...so these are the people we are choosing to celebrate today...

Petting Zoo

Our trip to the zoo last week was kind of crazy. We started out with Aunt Laurie, Leah, Hannah, Amelia and me; Uncle Phil was joining us later. About 15 minutes after we got to the zoo Chelsea called, someone hadn't shown up to work, so she needed Hannah to come in early - the hazzards of having your sister as your boss:) Phil came and got Hannah and took her to the Country Club so no kids would drown, then he came back to the zoo to join us. He caught up with us in the petting zoo.

The zoo actually started out as a petting zoo and a few years ago they completely renovated that area. It is now much cleaner and the animals much more contained. They even have a hand washing station and hand sanitizer - believe me, you need both! It also features an enormous play area which of course Amelia loves. I'm not sure who enjoyed the Koi more, Amelia or Uncle Phil. Amelia actually reached in and pet them, and Phil showed her how to drop the food directly into their mouths. These fish have been at that zoo for YEARS and they are HUGE! They know exactly how to swim to the top of the pile to get fed. We had a blast and we'll be visiting The W's again soon because Amelia is already talking about how much she misses them!

What Did We See At The Zoo?

As always, Amelia LOVED the zoo! She couldn't get from animal to animal fast enough. I kept trying to slow her down so that she could enjoy it; however her mind was on one thing - THE PENGUINS! She did find some other animals that were interesting to her too...no it wasn't the lions, tigers, sea lions or even the monkeys...these were Amelia's favorites: And when we did finally get to the penguins, she decided they were boring and she was immediately ready to move on. As we were walking through the Australian Outback exhibit an Emu walked within arms reach of her and Uncle Phil - I seriously thought it was going to bite them or peck them or something.

The fish in the aquariums were really cool- Amelia had just watched Nemo Saturday night so easily spotted "Nemo" and "Dory". Aunt Laurie couldn't get enough of the Sea Horses and I was awestruck by the Jelly Fish.
Amelia really liked the giraffes and was excited to feed one - she and Aunt Laurie were both disappointed that they couldn't pet it. Amelia was fascinated with the Zebras too and couldn't get a close enough look at them.
Thank goodness Cousin Lean was along because after Amelia decided to ride the camel, she got a little nervous and wanted someone to ride with her. Mommy really didn't want to, but offered anyway...Amelia choose Leah and HOW could she say no? It turned out to be a pretty bumpy ride and I was quite glad Leah was there to hold onto Amelia!

We saw and did so much more at the zoo that we'll have to finish our story later - the best photos are yet to come!

ZOO - to come

Amelia and I spent Sunday at the zoo with her Aunt Laurie, Cousin Leah, and even Uncle Phil and Cousin Hannah managed to join our journey, at least for a little while. I will blog about our day later - but let this smile tell you how much fun she had! This was at the end of the trip!

 

If Only!

After reading one of my favorite blogs today I was left thinking...if ONLY Amelia was in the Tonginnator's dance class.

Diva!

Amelia and I made a deal that after her recital she would get her hair cut short again. She managed to stall for 4 days, but I was not waiting another day. Tonight we went and got it cut. I let her pick out the style from a book - although I had to continually remind her that she does not have curly hair...why do we always want what we don't have? She picked a very cute cut and is VERY happy with it. I was SHOCKED by how much hair they cut off...I had no idea how long it was until I saw it on the floor. I asked if I could take a picture and she had to show me her head from EVERY angle - I swear that was her idea...she is after all my little Diva!

 

I love facebook

Party down with your bad self!

 

Photos of Amelia at her dance recital are popping up ALL over facebook and I love it! I think this one best captures her joy during the finale!

Pardon Us While We Are Under Construction

I decided that the blog needed a facelift and that I was going to do it myself...just trying to figure a few things out, so our look may be changing over the next several weeks.

***Update***
I am calling it good for now; however I found an awesome website that makes changing the look of your blog SO EASY and SO FUN. Check out The Cutest Blog On the Block! Not only do they have free headers and backgrounds as well as widgets, but they offer awesome tips to make using Blogger easier. It is my new favorite website. Of course I couldn't find a coordinating header and background that I liked, so I used one of their backgrounds and then made my own header in FotoFusion Version 4 which is what I also use to make all of my collages. This is what took A LOT of time as I couldn't get the dimensions just right.

BOOM BOOM! SHAKE THE ROOM!

My niece Lauren is a phenomenal dancer; she’s been in dance for about 10 years and LOVES it. I was SO proud of her last night as she lit up the stage with her smile – well in all but one dance, where she was a zombie. I am ashamed to say this is the first of her recitals that I attended, but in my defense her old studio held them in at a different High School that was not air conditioned and was always overcrowded and lasted HOURS. Not a good place for Aunt Sharie who is hyper and claustrophobic.

But I digress…

I did make it to recital last night, although it was because Amelia was dancing. Amelia was in the youngest group of dancers I think they were all 4 or 5…it was an adorable train wreck and AMELIA was the National Guard ready to save the day. The girls were very distracted by the lights and the audience, but they actually got off to a good start…chugging right along. THEN the train skipped the track! Little M’s crown fell off! The minute it happened I looked at my mom and sisters and we all said, “Amelia’s going to get it!” Of course she did. She stopped dancing, ran over to M’s crown, placed it on her head and ran back to her own spot to resume dancing.

The audience ROARED with laughter. It wasn’t just that she stopped to help her friend, it was in the manner that she did it – that NOTHING could continue until M had her crown. At this point the girls were completely lost. They had no idea where in the dance they were. Oh G & G they knew that dance…and they tried their best to keep the other 7 girls on track, but there was NO chance.

The stage was really slippery and Amelia had a nice graceful fall, some girls were jumping, others were spinning they were turned in all directions. By the end of the dance when half the girls were supposed to be standing in a line in the back and the other half were supposed to be kneeling in front – they were ALL in a straight line. Miss Amelia – completely oblivious to the fact that the dance was off track did a HUGE spin right as the lights went down. Oh how I wish I had the video to share today, be we have to wait for the video from the professionals as last night cameras and video cameras were not allowed - although one of Lauren's friends got this one shot!

As planned Amelia stayed backstage through the remainder of the show. I checked on her at intermission and she was having a blast making necklaces, bracelets and coloring. Her knee looked bloody, so I asked if she got hurt when she fell, “No Mom that’s just lipstick!” It went well with the stickers she had all over her face and tutu. When it was time for the finale I wasn’t sure if Amelia would be on stage or not…she was pretty tired, but there she was – shoeless! She was the ONLY one from her dance that made it to the finale. The audience laughed when they saw her – remembering her performance from earlier in the show.

She ran out with the older girls, danced in place and bowed on cue, although I couldn’t see her well through the mob of girls, I did see her feet leave the stage when all the other girls jumped – nearly 200 of them! By the time I got through the crowd and backstage to get her, most of the other kids were gone. She was exhausted! She did come out to be seen by her fans – Grandma was there with hugs, Aunt Tammie and Katie brought her an adorable frame to put her recital photo in, Aunt Nancy and Lauren gave her flowers and a ballerina necklace, I of course had flowers for her and her friend Olivia also gave her a rose. Amelia’s reaction, “It’s a great flower day!”

It was 10pm when we left – Did Amelia fall asleep on the way home? NO – she was running on adrenaline. I asked her again if she wanted to stay in dance, “No Mom, I don’t like it!” I would never push her to do something she doesn’t want to, so that’s it for now. If she changes her mind – we’ll be back…so watch out Charlie she’ll be even harder to teach when she’s 6!

My Little Unicorn

Amelia purchased the Barbie Swan Princess movie and is suddenly obsessed with Unicorns. Today as she was watching it she decided she wanted to be one...I'm a mom, I had to take a picture!

Dental Update

Amelia and I headed back to Dr. G this morning. He only fixed 1 tooth - out of the 4 that need repair, I guess he found another one when going over her x-rays. She had her first shot of Novocaine and got a crown. She did AWESOME! She cried a bit when they gave her the Novocaine, but other than that was perfect. He started her on an antibiotic for the abscess and we go back on the 15th for the next visit, she needs 2 more crowns and 1 tooth pulled. Her teeth are bad, but it is all made worse by her teeth grinding. She goes through fillings like crazy! I want to know why a little kid grinds her teeth EVERY night in her sleep. Is she that stressed? Would counseling help, or is it just a really bad habit?
I had horrible teeth as a kid too - and I really relate to how bad it is sitting in that chair. My mom had bad teeth as a kid too and she told me last night she used to make my dad take me to the dentist because she couldn't stand to watch...and I always thought it was just a special day for Dad and I to spend together;)

Dance Recital Rehearsal!

Amelia may not be a dancer - but she IS an ENTERTAINER! As much as I've encouraged her over the last few weeks to continue in dance - she is just NOT interested. In fact this week she was VERY excited for recital - not because it would be fun, no. In Amelia's words..."Friday is my recital and then NO MORE DANCE!"

Amelia is going to the same dance studio as Cousin Lauren, AKA Sissy. I took a 1/2 day off work to prepare for the big night and to get Amelia and Lauren to the High School by 4 p.m. Amelia thought she was PRETTY HOT STUFF showing up with Sissy!

Amelia's dance was SOOO funny. I was laughing so hard I was crying. She did really well at first, but then she got confused, so stopped, put her hands over her glasses and shook her head. Then she got back on track but lost it again so just started to do her own little interpretive dance. I wanted to video tape - had the camera there and everything, but didn't realize until it was too late that I couldn't tape and take photos at the same time, so I'm hoping to get the video from one of the other moms(along with her photos because they were spectacular)!

We could have left rehearsal after Amelia's class finished, but if she wanted to be in the finale she had to stay until they were 1/2 way through to practice it. So, instead of being there for an hour and a half - we were there for 4 hours! I was really surprised that Amelia didn't get more into watching the other dancers, she was more interested in playing her DS and rummaging though my bag looking for treats.

It was worth it to stay for the finale though - Amelia was the only one from her class that did, and she LOVED the attention she got from the big girls. She really rocked out the new PUNCH JUMP she learned and had a blast! As Aunt Nancy said, "I think I'm enjoying this performance more than her dance." It's because Amelia was having so much FUN! That is after all what it's ALL about

Dental Drama!

Look at how happy Miss Amelia is sitting in the dentist chair - weird I know!
Amelia and I had 6-month dental appointments this morning. My poor kid! She has an abscess on 2 teeth that are too big to pull. Our dentist isn't sure what he's going to do yet. If he pulls them the new ones won't come in for 5 or 6 years so all her other teeth will come in crooked. The way the hygienist described it, he may have to do a root canal on each of the baby teeth!! It is so bad that she has blisters on the roof of her mouth, yet she hasn't complained at all, so I had no idea!
She has 1 other tooth that is really bad too - its been filled a couple times. The dentist may pull that one, but again wanted to do some thinking/research on options.
We go back Friday morning for the first of probably several follow-up appointments:(

I held it together at the dentist but lost it after I dropped her off at daycare. She has no idea what's going on or how bad its going to hurt! Amelia loves our dentist and he is really good with her (also happens to be my cousin although we aren't close). I am however tossing around the idea of taking her to a pediatric dentist...I called one today that I have heard great things about, but got voice mail and wasn't going to be near a phone the rest of the day. Just not sure what to do on this one! I asked Amelia if she'd like to go to a special kids dentist, but of course the kid who hates change really wants to keep going to Dr. G. I have a feeling after Friday she will never want to see Dr. G. again!

Amelia did get her first x-ray today - and she did AWESOME - way better than I did actually. And the fluoride treatment - she LOVES it...

Can't Win!

Thursday night when I picked Amelia up from school for gymnastics she told me never to come that early again - that made me feel good -- that she liked school that much -- and bad that she wasn't ready to run to me for hugs, but instead wanted to hug her classmates good-bye:(

Friday I was insanely busy at work, so I stayed as late as I could and picked Amelia up 10 minutes before the school closes - of course then Amelia was the last child picked up from school - in the WHOLE school! It was afterall a GORGEOUS Friday night - and who in their right mind would work late. Well, needless to say Amelia was then angry with me for getting there too late.

By the way - the difference in time from too early, to too late was 35 minutes:) Can't win with that kid!