Taking a Step Back and the Dentist

In the frenzy to get as much skiing in as possible before the end of the season, it occurred to me that it might be time to take a step back and calm down a little about the whole thing. True, the season is coming to an end, but we've managed to get more skiing in than we could have ever hoped for, and should be happy for that. After all, skiing is not the most economical of pursuits, and again, we've managed to get a lot in.

I'm saying this because I was planning on going to the Skiway yesterday after N's dentist appointment, but realized how rushed it would be, and decided against it. Besides, the Skiway is more expensive than our usual hill, the beloved Quechee Hill. On the subject of expense, I just wanted to clarify that money is an issue, and the only reason we can really afford to ski as much as we do is because we do in fact ski the Quechee Hill, where for the three of us, we can ski for less than $20. That's because one of us is free (this is the last season for this) and tickets are $10 after 2pm. You can't beat that deal, so we've taken full advantage of it.

As much as it pains me to say it, we could very well be done for the year, and that's fine... sort of. I'd still like to go, but there are plenty of more pressing issues at hand, so we'll be thankful for the chances we've had.

On the subject of the dentist, we went to see Dr. Bachner yesterday and all went well. I have to confess, he really has a way with kids, and our kids really love him. He really makes them feel at ease and talks and relates to them in a way that really puts them at ease. This, at least for me, is not an easy thing to do. In fact, I often have a difficult time conversing with kids, I feel like a total dork and don't always know what to say. He's got his gig down, and though I had some reservations at first, I really like the guy, and am glad he's our kids' dentist. Plus, he's really good, I think most people would agree with this, and we trust him with our kids' teeth.

We had a cavity filled, and hopefully that will be the last one for awhile. I'm struck by how many kids we know who have cavities, including our own. We had this completely unwarranted sense of self-satisfaction in deluding ourselves that we weren't going to get cavities, and lo and behold, we had sure as heck had them. It was a real cold dose of reality, not to mention humility. Thankfully, we've found a good dentist and the situation has thus far been dealt with, but we are extremely wary of being too complacent, and every trip to the dentist is an anxious one.

Unlike my childhood, we are diligent about flossing the kids' teeth. We don't brush them anymore, which makes the bedtime routine thankfully simpler, but somehow they're not ready to take on the flossing all on their own. That's okay, as a parent, you do what you've got to do.

I still have issues with the whole fluoride supplement thing, however, but that's a topic for another time. Until then, thanks for reading.