Does Every Kid Like the Dentist's Office As Much As My Boy?

Boogs gets so excited when he knows it is almost time to go to the dentist. He frequently tells me how much he loves to go because the dentist doesn't give shots like the doctor does. We arrived at the office a  bit early so Boogs would have time to play. This office is a little piece of heaven for kids: video games, train table, trains, books, toys, and a mechanical riding horse that does not require quarters. It is hard to get Boogs to leave the waiting room. Boogs had his first dental appointment when he was 18 months old. We have gone back for check-ups every six months. Every time we go, the dentist and the assistants compliment Boogs on his excellent behavior and cooperation. Today he had to have x-rays. I was waiting in another area and I heard Boogs complaining about the bite plate hurting. So I walked into the x-ray room and convinced Boogs to pretend that the bite plates were bones and he was a hungry puppy dog who just wanted to hold onto his bone. Worked like a charm. He finished the x-rays and had an easy check-up. His teeth are in excellent condition. The office gives out a token at the end of the exam for the kids to put in a gumball-type machine. Boogs got two tokens (like he does each time we go) because he is such a good patient. I hope he continues to enjoy his visits to the dentist. The kid in the next chair was having a very different (LOUD & SCREAMING) check-up experience. I love my boy.

In a cardmaking mood

I needed to make a birthday card and a couple of thank you cards, so I pulled out my drawer of paper scraps to work on a few cards. I have been shoving odds and ends of paper into that drawer for almost 10 years. The stamp sets, inks, and solid color cardstock are Stampin Up products. I have no idea where the rest came from. I realize that the cards I made mostly look alike. I made a few duplicates as well.

Yummy Kale Chips

A lot of people don't think that the word yummy should be used to describe kale, but it does when you make kale chips. Boogs frequently asks me to buy kale when we are strolling through the produce section. Kale is a superfood. It is packed with beta-carotene, vitamins A, C, and K, iron, manganese, calcium, and potassium. We love to bake kale and call it chips. It is so easy and takes only 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry with a salad spinner (Boogs' favorite part). Spritz it with olive oil and then sprinkle with sea salt. Place it on a parchment covered cookie sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. It is now perfectly crunchy and tasty. Yum!

Mother's Day

I feel very blessed to be a mother. I love my little boy more than I ever thought I could love someone. He has brought so many new things, thoughts, emotions, and activities into my life. Last week he asked me when it would be Mother's Day. He said, "You know, the day when we bring you dinner in bed and let you sleep. We give you chocolate. Then I have a Daddy day and you just get to be by yourself." Yeah, that was last year. This year was a little different. I did get breakfast in bed before Daddy left to go workout. Boogs and I went for a nice long walk and played for a bit at the park. Later, I went for a pedicure while Boogs had some Daddy time. To go along with our new healthy lifestyle, I did not get chocolate this year. Instead, I got a gift certificate to the High Intensity Training Center of Austin to get a VO2 Max test. It is a very thoughtful gift from my husband. My heart rate really gets high when I run and workout. This test, basically a stress test, will let me know my upper limit. It is a good thing to know when you are working out like I have been so I know how hard I can push myself.

Sneaky boy

Yesterday, Boogs was told by his Daddy to finish his breakfast. I came in the kitchen a few minutes later and Boogs asked me for help. I asked what he needed help with and he said he needed help hiding the rest of his food. So we had a conversation about being sneaky. I asked him if he thought is was a good idea to try and hide stuff like that. His response was a shrug of his shoulders and these words, "Well, if the parents don't know..." Wow, he is too little to start thinking like this. Funny that as he was telling me this he was not thinking of me as one of "the parents". I am not ready for my little boy to grow up. By the way, he did finish eating his breakfast.

Interesting Conversations

Out of nowhere today, Boogs started a conversation with, "Momma, when we die are we going to be buried?"
Me: Well, if that is your wish you can be buried. Why? Did you have another plan?
Boogs: I don't like to be buried when I die. Because when you are buried the dirt and sand is all over you. The sand would get in my eyes and be too itchy.
Me: When you are dead, you won't be able to feel anything.
Boogs: Oh yes. Yes, I will be able to feel everything when I am dead. That is just the way it will be for me.


I love reading with Boogs. At bedtime tonight, we read "Night Rabbits" by Lee Posey. It is a very sweet story.  There is a page that tells about a girl watching the rabbits moving to the music of the crickets at night. The next sentence is "The rabbits are so beautiful that I shiver inside." I asked Boogs if he had ever felt like that, like something was so beautiful it made him shiver inside. He told me that the first time he ever saw and held Guy (his little blue lamb lovey) he did shiver inside. Boogs always makes me smile. Even at four, he still needs Guy to help him go to sleep each night. This is a picture of the first time he held Guy when he was nine months old. Guy certainly does not look like that anymore! Now, Guy is grubby and has matted fur.

Spiderman? No, not in our house

Some of you may think that this is a picture of Spiderman. Well, it is not! Last summer, Boogs created his own superhero named Superfinder. We got this costume last week from a friend. Boogs put it on and said it was a new disguise for Superfinder, to fool the bad guys even more. So even though it looks like Spiderman is sneaking around my house, he really isn't. I have been keeping a list of all the things Boogs has told me about Superfinder. This is what we know so far: he hibernates, has fireproof equipment, carries a safety net, has suction cups for climbing, wears only orange (unless he is in a disguise) can camoflauge himself, is nocturnal, has invented his own friend called Slimey, is not all the way good because he sometimes hurts the bad guys. I am sure I have forgotten a few things. I love how creative Boogs is when he describes his superhero. He tells me long, involved stories about him all the time.