A Baker's Dozen: Daily Life in a Large Family

Fractured Root

This little guy was my running partner yesterday. He was awesome! Except for the fact that he can out run me...

Thursday afternoon I noticed one of my teeth felt a bit odd...I touched it with my tongue, then my finger and found it a bit loose. This bicuspid happens to be a crown on a tooth with root canal. Hmm...crowns should not be loose. It was Thanksgiving afternoon, so there wasn't much I could do. I also happen to know my dentist's office is closed on Fridays, so first thing yesterday morning, I did what any mature adult would do. I called the dentist.

The "squeezed me in" at one o'clock in the afternoon. I didn't give the tooth a whole lot of thought beyond hoping the crown didn't fall off entirely over the weekend. Worst case scenario I figured was a failed root canal, but even if that was the case, the crown should be just fine. Even if another root canal was necessary, at least I wouldn't have to buy a new crown. Best case scenario? He could just clean underneath, glue the thing back on and send me on my merry way. 

Somewhere between 2008, the Year of Dentistry,  and now I had somehow forgotten my oh so terrible luck when it comes to teeth. I should have run away when the x-ray machine in room number one was malfunctioning and I had to me moved to another room. How could I ever have dreamed of a best case scenario when I came to my teeth?!

"I sincerely hope it's just a bonding issue" said my dentist...ever the optimist.

"Oh, I doubt it's a bonding issue" I answered. "I've spend plenty of time in here with you".

Yes, it did take him a moment to "get it", but he has a great sense of humor.

Next came an exam which consisted of numbing the area then poking, prodding and wiggling my tooth in every way imaginable, then x-rays, then finally a CT scan of my head revealed a fractured root. To the best of my dentist's knowledge (and lacking actual x-ray vision) he believe the crown is still attached to half of my tooth...the other dangling into fractured nothingness. 

So, this means not only extracting the tooth as soon as possible (as in, at 7:45 this morning) but prepping the area for an implant. Personally, I don't mind morning appointments, but I thought I better ask my babysitter...aka Mom. Who happened to be right across the hall waiting to see the dentist. Yes, they "squeezed me in" at 1 o'clock and in some weird twist of fate my mom had a 2 o'clock appointment. And my dad was right down the hall getting his teeth cleaned. It was a regular family reunion.

So, not only do I get my tooth extracted but I apparently have only the bare minimum of jaw bone available in which to lodge this implant, so I get a graft of cadaver bone on one side and perhaps more depending on what he finds.

I asked if I could bring a cadaver of my own in, to save money. He said no.

So I am bummed. New best case scenario is a straightforward extraction and implant. Worst, oral surgery, bone grafting, and other gross and painful stuff.

So I'm throwing myself a pity party. I am not at all happy with the timing of this. Apollo goes back to the ENT December 15 and Lord willing will have a bronchoscopy and surgery shortly after that. I will get the prep work done tomorrow, go back for several follow up visits, let the gums heal for several months and be in the midst of a year long Adventure in Dental Implants. 

Oh, and as far as "why" the root fractured, apparently it just happens sometimes. There was no trauma to the area. My dentist said, "It's like getting struck my lightening". 

So please, whine along with me. Tell me something (big or small) that you need pity for so when I come home I can feel sorry for you too. Let me know I'm not the only pathetic human out there. I'll send some pity your way. I promise.

Hezzy's New Smile

Yesterday was the big day. I took Hezekiah in to get two teeth pulled. After going over the options with our dentist, thinking, discussing with Chuck and doing a little research, we decided to do a little proactive-pulling. The idea is to pull a couple of baby teeth to make room for his permanent teeth to come move around and (hopefully) settle in straight. He has one that is nearly horizontal right now and we hope to free up enough space for his to come down in its proper position.

He is totally missing adult tooth #7 and #10 is pegged...who knows what his smile will look like naturally. Rather than to begin orthodontic work at age six, we are going to wait and see what happens...then pursue orthodontics if and when necessary. 

Please exuse this photo...he's earned a new nickname: Stubborn-kiah...since he refused to smile for the camera. I caught this one as I made him laugh...then he ducked his head into his shirt...and no worries, he's not self-concious about his new look...he was just refusing to smile. When I said I wanted pictures of his teeth he did this:

And said, "Okay Mom, here's my teeth". 

Ah, such a sweet boy. 

 

Hezekiah and Tom Cruise

Even Apollo knows the importance of good dental hygiene!

Yesterday afternoon was spent with ten children at the dentist for check ups and exams (only ten because it's a pediatric dentist and two children are 18, one goes to a different dentist and one only has four teeth). I'm all for spending the whole afternoon and getting it over with rather than going every day for a week or two. Thankfully our dentist is very accommodating and clears the schedule for the Baker's Dozen Invasion. 

To make a long story even a tiny bit shorter, let me say they all have clean, well cared for teeth (one teen boy with two cavities which have been small for a couple of years but now need to be filled- everyone else, cavity free!) Unfortunately (as I've blogged about before) most of my children have very, ahem, unique dental features. 

And by the way, you know you have a large family when you literally have to take notes at the dentist to assure you remember everything and can pass the information on to you husband (who's working hard to pay those dental bills).

Adalia (15) has an impacted molar that they discovered when she was twelve. All of her other adult teeth are now in and this tooth rests right up in her jaw, looking just like an adult tooth in a mouth full of baby teeth. We are looking into getting it removed (which would involve oral surgery). We've been watching it closely since it was discovered. It means she will be short one tooth on that side, but since her teeth are so crowded anyway, it's not seen as a problem. And thankfully for her, while her teeth are very crowded they are perfectly straight.

And speaking of being short a tooth...the x-rays this year revealed that Tilly (12) is missing at least one adult molar...she will be going in later for panoramic x-rays to see if any others are missing...

And speaking of more missing teeth, the dentist has suspected since Hezekiah was four that he is missing adult tooth #7. Yesterday's visit confirmed this. Number seven is not the front tooth, but one over from it...and to make things even more fun, tooth #10 (# 7's partner) is tiny...I believe they used the word "peg" to describe it. We have a  few options for Hezekiah...spend the next ten or twelve years trying to "maintain" the space in his mouth for a future implant...or let the teeth come in and see how they look. Either method involves pulling a baby tooth or two since the next one wanting to emerge is nearly horizontal to his gum line. And they said since he is missing one and has the other tooth that is "pegged" he could very well be missing more. For now we are just pulling baby teeth to see what his mouth will do naturally. The dentist insisted this is what happened to Tom Cruise. So of course I came home and googled photos of Tom Cruise. Apparently there has been much discussion (and just plain meanness) surrounding his off-centered teeth. Well, I always knew Hezekiah was destined for something special...

At least four of my children have enamel hypoplasia, meaning they have spots on their teeth where enamel never formed. Yes, those would be "cavities waiting to happen". So far we've avoided them with good oral hygiene. 

Tucker's four canine teeth emerged covered with large white spots. These spots were so big they covered the entire front of his teeth. They are  simply spots that happened during his prenatal tooth development...when the dentist and I were discussing it yesterday he said, "Did you every have a really high fever while you were pregnant with him?"

"Yes! I had the flu and was really, really sick when I was pregnant with him".

"That's what did it" he answered. Apparently when you see the uniformity (all four canines affected, no other teeth) it can often be pinpointed to a fever during pregnancy. Crazy!!! I was so sick with the flu, my mom came out to the house for a week to care for my children. I couldn't even move out of bed or off the couch. Remember that, mom?  Apparently those four teeth were forming in his little mouth while I was sick.

So, I have three children going back in for panoramic x-rays (to check for missing teeth and wisdom teeth), one boy with two cavities, looking into our options for Adalia's impacted molar, and having two teeth pulled on Hezekiah. 

I need a personal assistant just to keep it all straight...

{Please bear with the iPhone photos...I chose not to humiliate my children by turning their dental check up into a photoshoot!}

At the Dentist

Tucker (4) Photo taken on my iphone 

Ah, it's that time of year again...time to take my little family to the dentist.  An adventure that always requires at least two days worth of visits.

In a family our size, there's always adventure to be had. I've had children vomit at the dentist. I've had children pretend to flush themselves down the toilet. I've had visits last so long that we've brought a lunch along to eat in the waiting room. In fact, I have a whole category "dentist" on my blog.

The incredible, miraculous new this year is....NO CAVITIES in the ten mouths I took to the dentist. I felt like throwing a party.I can hardly bear to take the other three in and perhaps tarnish our record (they go to a different dentist, for reasons I blogged about here).

At any rate, we had a good two days of visits. Avi wasn't nearly as hyper or difficult as she usually is in public. Tucker has forgotten any hard feelings he had toward the dentist and thought it was the best thing ever. Since we came home he's been talking about the "high dentist"...you know, the one who cleans your teeth...more commonly known as the "hygienist". 

At dinner the other night he said, "Mom, which is better, watching a movie or going to the dentist?"

Me: Um...I don't know.

Tucker: Going to the dentist....because you get to watch a movie and get a prize!

Yeah, whatever...at least the boy doesn't have any dental trauma.

Adalia still has an impacted molar, but it is holding steady, so we aren't doing anything at the moment. The spots of "enamel hypoplasia" on certain children's teeth haven't worsened or turned to cavities. The dentist is still 80% sure Hezekiah's missing tooth #7 and said if it was his child, he'd just plan on the fact that it wasn't there.

All in all, a good couple of visits. 

Potato Latkes

Yesterday I felt better than I have in weeks. No headache and my nausea was only intermittent. I am hoping this is a sign that things are looking up. I felt so good in fact, that after lunch I made a batch of homemade marshmallows (a first for me) and caramel popcorn (an old standby) for my husband. While pondering what side dishes to serve with the ham in my crockpot, I decided on potato latkes. 

 

These turned out great. So great in fact, I'm going to share the recipe. I got it from All Recipes.

Ingredients

• 2 cups peeled and shredded potatoes 
• 1 tablespoon grated onion 
• 3 eggs, beaten 
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 
• 1/2  oil for frying 

Directions

1. Place the potatoes in a cheesecloth and wring, extracting as much moisture as possible.
2. In a medium bowl stir the potatoes, onion, eggs, flour and salt together.
3. In a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until hot. Place large spoonfuls of the potato mixture into the hot oil, pressing down on them to form 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick patties. Brown on one side, turn and brown on the other. Let drain on paper towels. 

Those were of course proportions for a normal family. I used ten potatoes and a dozen eggs. It took me an hour to cook enough for dinner, but since it received a thumbs up all around, it was worth it.

Today I think we are skipping school (or declaring Christmas vacation) to clean up, tackle the laundry and do some Christmas baking.

 

Friends

Good friends can add such a rich texture to our lives. You know the kind of friends I mean. The ones who stand by you in the tough times. The ones you laugh and share with. The ones who encourage you. The ones who really know you and still love you.

I have some friends...but somehow I get the feeling their laughing at me...not with me.

Within two weeks  I had two different friends "share" these items with me.

Friend #1

And friend #2  gave me this:

Yes, friends...they add a whole new dimension to our lives.

The Family that Goes to the Dentist Together...

stays together.

Ah, nothing like a family trip to the dentist to brighten a winter's afternoon. 

But before we go there, how about some new layouts of summer pictures?

These pages will go in Tilly's scrapbook. I love digital for the flexibility in sizing of photos.

I had an exam and cleaning scheduled for Wednesday afternoon. My first visit as a normal patient. It was really quite exciting. And guess what, all of my teeth (or what's left of them) look fine. For the first time in my life, I went to the dentist for an exam and had no cavities! Thanks to a year of dental work and my Magical Mystery Mouthwash.

What? You've never heard of Magical Mystery Mouthwash? Well, neither had I until Dr. Nice* (not his real name) told me about it. Research it seems, is pointing to the fact that people with chronic cavities (like me) harbor bacteria in their mouth that allows cavities to thrive. The secret to Magical Mystery Mouthwash it seems, is to change the balance of bacteria in the mouth so it is no longer cavity friendly. And why exactly to I call this Magical Mystery Mouthwash? Because you can't  buy it in stores. I have to buy it directly from my dentist (and just maybe late night infomercials). At any rate, I feel it is my duty to anything that might possibly improve the health of my teeth.

I had all thirteen children in to the dentist in January for exams and cleaning. Enoch and Keziah both had small cavities and the rest (thank goodness) got a clean bill of health. The bad part about this is, Keziah and Enoch are my two children who both have dental anxiety. Enoch's due to a couple of really bad dental visits (including being strapped to the chair at age four and having a cavity filled while he kicked and screamed enough to finally free  his feet and send a rubber boot flying across the room) and Keziah has a general fear any medical procedures, especially ones involving shots. I have always taken my children to a pediatric dentist. The office is bright and kid-friendly. The waiting room is large (a huge plus). And this dentist has been seeing my children for the last seven years.

To make a long story short(er) after much thought and discussion with Chuck, I decided to take Keziah and Enoch to my dentist to get their cavities filled. After all, he specializes in people with dental anxiety. Certainly he would be patient and understanding. So last time I was in, I told him about Keziah and Enoch and we discussed the issue at length. So when I went in for my exam and cleaning Wednesday, I took Keziah and Enoch in as well.

It's funny what kids pick up from their environment. As you can imagine dentists, dental work, tooth pain are common themes in our dinner  time conversations. When I asked Enoch if he was nervous about going to the dentist he said, "no, not as long as  it's Dr. Nice." I was shocked. Enoch's response was, "you said he was gentle and would stop if something was hurting me". Wow...he really took all of those conversations to heart.

So we got Dr. Nice and he examines Keziah and Enoch, while I get my teeth  cleaned. An amzingly efficient  process, except for the four times Dr. Nice came in to talk to me, and the hygienist had to stop her cleaning, take off her gloves, and sit me up in the chair.

Anyway, on one of those trips in, Dr. Nice tells me that two of Enoch's permanent teeth aren't in, and should be. He wants to take an x-ray to see where those teeth are. Low and behold, they're up there, but blocked and rotated, due to too small a mouth and too many teeth (sound familiar?). Funny, the pediatric dentist didn't mention anything when I had him in last month...

And speaking of dentists giving two completely differents stories, my former dentist (who has since retired) told me I grind my teeth and night. And need to wear a night-guard. So he made me one (for $400) which I wore until I had my wisdom teeth removed. Once I had healed from that and my dry sockets, it no longer fit. 

Dr. Nice says there is no way I grind my teeth. I simply don't have the wear on my teeth that would be present. Hmm...

It's hard to know what to think when I get two completely different takes from two different dentists.  Do I trust Dr. Nice? Absolutely. But then, I trusted Former Dentist at the time too (though I never spent nearly as much time with him). And how about the fact that the pediatric dentist didn't mention Enoch's teeth not being in, and being rotated? He is his dentist, he was in for a full exam, isn't it his job to let me know what's going? Dr. Nice has nothing to gain my telling me Enoch needs to see an orthodontist. And he sure is more thorough than the pediatric dentist.

So why not just switch everyone over to Dr. Nice, if I trust him so much? Well, there is a logistics issue. His waiting room is literally so small, I can't take more than  four children with me at a time and even at that, it means his waiting room is full to capacity, leaving no room for his other patients. This would mean realistically only taking two or three children in for exams a time. I would have to block out a week or more, just to do exams and cleanings, and spending several hours in a tiny waiting room keeping children still, vs. several hours in a large roomy waiting room, where the children can actually move around and play (I'm thinking of my little ones here).

So, our dental saga continues...

Dental Daze

Tilly, age 10

So, I went to the dentist on Monday. What?  You  thought I was done going to the dentist? No, no, I said I was finished with my major dental work. Besides this was just a  quick visit, so Mr. Dentist could check out my bite (after all, he put in about 82 crowns last year), drill down a few places, check on Stand-In-Dentist's work. Mr. Office Manager (from here on out, Mr. OM) assured me it would be a quick visit. I always ask how long the visit is expected to last, so I can plan for it. Since it was only going to take a few minutes, I opted to leave seven children home alone and take the other six with me. The dental staff has always been friendly  and welcoming to my children. Mr. OM assured me it was fine to bring them along. I think he likes likes the  way six kids in the waiting room break up the monotony of his day...

So, I took Ezra (16), Boaz (14), Enoch (8), Kalina (7), Modecai (6) and Hezekiah (4). We had a talk before we went, about giving up their seat for any adult (or patient) who comes, not to spread books and games all over the floor, keep their voices quiet, etc.  

I ended up getting stuck in construction, and was ten minutes late for my visit. Arg....when I walked in and apologized to Mr. OM, he said, "No problem, Mr. Dentist just pulled in right behind you". Apparently he was on his lunch break. Whew. From my vantage point in the waiting room, I could see Mr. Dentist come in, take off his coat and put on his white smock (no easy feat, with one arm in the sling). Now this is the second time I've seen my dentist in "street clothes". You know, clothes not covered by his smock. And I find it a bit unnerving. I'm not sure why, other than my issue with needing to see people on in their proper context (Cub Scout people at Scouts, MOPs people at MOPs, doctor at the doctor's office). This overlapping and meeting of people willy-nilly out at grocery stores and parks, makes me a bit nervous. I know, I have issues.

Mrs. Assistant, calls me backs, gets me settled, and starts chatting with me. In walks Mr. Dentist, and Mrs Assistant says, "Doctor, Renee's under the impression this is a short visit today. She's got some of her children out in the waiting room, and rest at home". Excuse me? Under the impression? Any impression I've gotten has come straight out of Mr. OM's mouth...who in theory works quite closely with Mr. Dentist.

Mr. Dentist doesn't respond to that, and just asked how I'm feeling, etc. Then the Checking of My Bite, and the drilling commences. Oh, but not before  he calls in...well, I'm not sure her official title, but we'll call her Mrs. X. 

"Mrs. X, I'll need you in here to be my left arm". 

Hmm...now Mr. OM assured me on the phone Mr. Dentist was back to work. In fact he told me he had done an endo (I've been there so much, they use the dental lingo with me...an endo is a root canal) last week. That now seems doubtful, since he apparently can't even do a little drilling with out the help of Mrs. X. 

So, imagine this. I'm lying the dental chair, Mrs. Assistant at my left, Mr. Dentist at my right and Mrs. X, well, wedged between Mr. Dentist and and back of my chair. Mr. Dentist looks at my teeth, positions his little mirror in my mouth so he can see, then asks Mrs. X to hold the mirror while he does the drilling. And of course, Mrs. Assistant is holding the water and suction thingy. Yes, I have three people hovering around my head and all three have their hands in my  mouth. And keep in mind, since this is just a visit to check my bite and I actually need to pay attention, I have no music.  I'm not numbed up at all (he's just drilling on crowns) instead I'm having flashbacks to my very first dental visit at age six when the dentist drilled my tongue. 

The visit is divided pretty evenly between drilling, and Mr. Dentist saying, "Open, close. Open, close. Open, close. Open slowly. Close. Tap, tap, tap, tap. Bite. Open, close". Punctuated with the occasional, "Articulating tape." and "Shim stock" thrown in. Just to keep us  on our toes. Mr. OM comes in a couple of times to let me know how the kids are doing. At one point Mr. Dentist has everyone pull out of my mouth. "What do you feel now?" he asks. After closing my mouth and frowning, I reach up to pull a thin strip of foil off of my tongue. "Shim stock" I answer, handing it to Mr. Dentist. Good thing I know the proper dental lingo. "Sorry" he says. "Is there any more left in there?" 

No, I think I swallowed that.

After surviving well over an hour of opening, closing and drilling, he declares me done. For now.

"There's still that last crown we haven't done yet..." he says.

"What crown? I thought we were done."

"No, there's still number five. It was part of the original plan, we just didn't get to it. We got too bogged down in the other teeth".

Mrs. Assistant, flipping through my chart, saves the day. "Actually, Doctor, number five wasn't part of the plan". 

Looking himself, he realizes it is a "structurally compromised" tooth, that needs to be crowned eventually, but was not, in fact, part of the plan.

So at last, I am released. An hour and forty-five minutes later. I walk out to the waiting room to see Hezekiah nearly asleep on the couch, Mordecai wedged in a corner between a lamp and a window and the three older boys and Kalina drawing and reading quietly. Piled in a corner is a our customary case of toothpaste samples, new toothbrushes and pencils for everyone, and piles of cheap plastic toys.

The end of another happy dental visit.

And the Winner Is...

You guys totally made my day.  Thanks so much for playing along. Man, after some of those estimates, I don't even feel like my 65.5 hours in the dental chair are worth mentioning.

So, Koe, you are the winner, coming within a half an hour of the time. What, did you call my dentist or something, and get the inside scoop? Send me an email, and I'll hook you up with your prize.

For the rest of you, Koe has been a blog reader for a while now, and this last December, we met  at the Bethany Christian Services Christmas party. It was a complete surprise to see each other there. She introduced her self, and it took me about five seconds to place her...the unusual name had lodged in my brain.

You guys are awesome, thanks for helping me make a truly miserable situation, a little more bearable :)

Please Excuse Me, I'm Not Wearing My Filter Today

Hezekiah, age four 

I went to the dentist yesterday.

 If you've been following my blog for long, you know I go to the dentist a lot. Like several times a month. All in an attempt to repair a mouth full of very damaged teeth. And you also probably know, that after a friendly argument with my favorite dentist, I agreed to take lorazepam (a muscle relaxer) to help keep my very tiny jaw open, during visits. I only have two complaints about taking the lorazepam 1) it requires me to have a ride to and from the dentist and 2) it's traditionally used to treat patients with dental anxiety. And despite my dental visits from you-know-where, I have yet to develop dental anxiety. I just hate to  think that someone might confuse me with one-of-those patients.

And if I'm going to be completely honest (and why not, I am telling you all about my latest dental visit) I'd have to say I actually have a third complaint about lorazepam: it effectively removes my filter. You know, that thing in your brain that stops those thoughts before they come out of your mouth. Oh it's true. And the problem is, I don't realize the problem with the things I'm saying until later. Much later.

I take two lorazepam an hour before dental visits. It relaxes my jaw enough for my dentist to get in my mouth and work. I don't feel a bit different when I take it...but oh, the things I say. Anyone remember my crow bar comment? Then there was the time after Mr. Receptionist assisted with the root canal, and Mrs. Asssistant asked how it went. "Oh, he was great," I said with enthusiasm, "he didn't even get me down the neck. You always spray me down the neck with the water!" Hmm...in hindsight, that didn't seem like such a nice thing to say. Then there was the time I informed Mr. Dentist that he had the Midas Touch...he ended up root canalling every tooth of mine he touched. See, these are all thoughts that go through my head, that I would normally keep to myself...or come home and blog. But not things I would normally say out loud. Thank you lorazepam.

And so yesterday's appointment. Remember my dentist tore a tendon and needed surgery? Well, as it turns out, all of his dentist friends have been coming into the office to help. How nice. When Mr. Receptionist called to see if I wanted to come in Friday afternoon, I questioned him three different times to make sure that Mr. Dentist would be present. "Yes, he'll oversee everything. Fill-In-Dentist will just be his hands." I agreed to come in. I'm ready to be done with this dental work already.

Mr. Dentist didn't look any too good when I saw him. It was then that I realized the last appointment of the day on a Friday afternoon was perhaps not the best time to have work done. Not when Mr. Dentist is recovering from surgery. And obviously very tired.

How to describe Fill-In-Dentist? *sigh* he may very well be a friend of Mr. Dentist, and perhaps even a good dentist at that, but oh was he rough. He would just jam his fingers into my mouth, with no regard for the fact that there was a human attached. Seriously, he would not even say, "can you open your mouth?" he would just ram his fingers in. Now, he was seating two crowns, so there was a lot of down time, when he was just drilling away on the crown (outside of my mouth) while I lay there. Then, with no warning, I'd feel him shove his hands in my mouth. It was horrible. I felt like I was being assaulted.  Let's just say I now love (yes, love) Mr. Dentist twice as much as I did before yesterday's appointment. Never again am I  going to let another dentist put his gloved hands in my mouth. In fact, when my dentist retires, I'm going with him.

And did I mention one of the tools exploded during the procedure? Literally went boom, and up in smoke. Oh yes. Thankfully it was not in my mouth at the moment.

Oh, and about not wearing my filter? At one point Fill-In-Dentist asked Mr. Dentist when these two teeth had been root canaled. "In October and November, respectively. Her teeth don't like to die at the same time."

Me: Actually, my teeth just don't like you.

Ouch. I really said that. I can't help it, I wasn't wearing my filter.

Oh, and the other thing lorazepam does is affect my memory. Really, it's one of the side affects, it has amnesiac  qualities. Dentists consider this a bonus, since patients with dental anxiety often don't remember their visits.

Well, I arrived home at 6 PM. I went to the bathroom, found Chuck, put my purse away. Then decided I'd better lay down. I was tired. I looked for my ipod, and couldn't find it. I searched my pockets, my purse. Not more than ten minutes had elapsed since I entered the house. Fearing I had left it at the dentist's office, I called, but they were already gone. I grabbed a different ipod, then crashed on the couch. I woke up on said couch at 12:30 AM. I didn't even stir with all the kids playing, getting ready for bed, etc. I dragged myself off to bed, and didn't stir until my alarm went off at 6 AM. It was as I was making my morning coffee that I found my ipod. In the kitchen, where I had put it. Oops.

Oh well. All's well that ends well.

And speaking of ending well, be sure to check in on Monday for an Exciting Announcement and Giveaway!!!