Lips and teeth - Suburban Shalom

I think it’s probably a combination of a head cold and allergies, but for whatever reason, this has been a long week. I remember my dad used to say, “You can let that cold run its course and you’ll be better in a week, or I can give you something for it and you’ll be better in seven days.” I always opted for the latter. It just felt more proactive.

In more interesting news, the Kindergartener is obsessed with lipstick right now. For a season it was eyeshadow, but we’ve moved onto the lips in recent weeks. She prefers fire engine red, and she lets me know on a regular basis that she isn’t a fan of my neutral lipstick palette. In fact she’ll say, “I can’t even tell you’re wearing lipstick.” That, however, is rarely the case when she applies her own. I’ll find her like this…

And, I’ll ask, “Have you been using the lipstick again?” Her response, “No.”

Of course not.

Another happening this week, the 2nd Grader got braces {actually just four brackets on the top row}. I know. She seems insanely young for orthodontics. But, after getting multiple opinions the recommendation to do it now was unanimous.

I think I was around 13 when I got braces, and I had them for a couple of years. It was nearly a rite of passage in middle school. Now, though, there’s something called Phase 1 orthodontics that starts much earlier with the aim of resolving issues before all the teeth have come in… hopefully minimizing the total amount to time spent in braces.

We shall see.

Surprisingly, several children in the 2nd Grader’s class have them already, too. And, the good thing about getting braces on when you’re only 7 is that you think they’re a great novelty.

While she may be young, the 2nd Grader is no fool when it comes to making the most of an opportunity. This was the checklist she presented to me before she went in for her appointment. It gives me options of things I could do to make the day better for her.

{For clarification, “acro” is a gymnastics class}

While we didn’t host a cookout for the whole family, she did get a milkshake and got to watch her favorite movie that night. Breakfast in bed is not something I can really pull off on school mornings. People in our family are lucky to get breakfast on the way out the door.

Unless you’re a baby doll. Then, you are spoon fed your Cheerios while you sit a table with your “friends.”