Brace Face

Gracie began the first phase of her prescribed orthodontic treatment today. She had "light braces" installed on her top permanent teeth. (The doctor will assess her need for phase one brackets on the bottom as teeth continue to fall out and come back in.) She goes back in two weeks to have an expander installed to widen her top jaw. That should correct her crossbite, make room for the rest of her upper permanent teeth, and reduce her need for extensive orthodontic treatment later.

She was super excited to have braces installed. As we pulled up to the office, she began to feel a bit nervous, but the excitement won over the nerves and she had really no problem marching in for installation. I hope the excitement drives her to take extra good care of her braces and not miss gum and sticky candy too much.

From a mommy's perspective, it's surprising how astounding a little metal can age a kid. The fact that she wants matching "braces" for her American Girl doll reminds me she's still my little girl.

Before


After

Brystol's Baby Playgroup

This time last year there was a baby boom among a group of my friends. This year, some of us met for a baby playgroup with our new little one-year-olds -- Brenner, Jacob, Addison, Tate and Brystol made up this month's group. Brystol is very social, so she had a fantastic time playing and sharing snacks with her little friends, and I enjoyed visiting with all the mommies.

Back to the Books

With Bub and Gracie back in public school, I thought I'd need more to fill my long days at home with Brystol, so at the end of the summer while James dozed on the couch, I applied to Texas Woman's University on a whim and was accepted. I know I could sew and craft and read for all the hours the big kids are away from home, but I wanted to be more productive while the baby has a semi-regular nap schedule.

I'm taking four online classes: World Literature, Film and Literature, Intro to Sociology, and Deviant Behavior and Social Consequence. I'm pretty excited, but I'm a bit concerned about how I'll manage it all. (I always feel this way at the beginning of a semester, but baby adds to the stress!) I'm looking forward to falling into an orderly routine soon!



photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

Who Doesn't Love a Luau?

We celebrated Gracie's eighth birthday with a luau party. She invited several classmates to our house, as well as some homeschool friends and some friends from church. Always the hands-on girl, Gracie wanted to do more than fill out her invitations, so she helped me decorate and plan the menu. Together, we baked a flip flop cake and made fruit kebabs. The menu also included a slushy Luau Punch, storebought Hawaiian Punch, "Limbo Sticks" (pretzels), Pirate's Booty, Cheesy Sharks, red rope licorice and Blue Bell Pineapple Vanilla ice cream.

Gracie also had a hand in planning the party games. She wanted to have a hula dance contest, so while at Dollar Tree one day, I picked up a "How To Hula Dance" DVD geared for kids. James thought the video would be way too cheesy, but it actually turned out to be a big hit. All the little girls were so intense and really worked hard to pick up a few moves! Rebecca and Madison tied for the win and each chose a Ty 2.0 from the prize basket we assembled. The only other structured game the kids played was "Hot Flamingo" -- same game as Hot Potato, only with an inflatable flamingo instead of a Russet. In the end, Sara was left holding the flamingo, so Madeline was the big winner.

Besides those activities, all of the girls paired off to play in Gracie's bedroom, with the Barbie house, on our whiteboard in the game room, or to run crazily around my house, pausing for sugar breaks at the snack table. The boys -- who were astonishingly quiet, by the way -- built all varieties of Lego creations in the fortress of male solitude (otherwise known as Bub's room).


The luau party was a budget-friendly way to celebrate Gracie's special day and a super-fun way to kick off the summer. Gracie has such sweet friendships and felt so blessed the whole day long -- a happy birthday for a wonderful girl!




This reminds me: In the midst of all the fall health whatnot, I failed to post when Bub Turned Nine. Sorry, Bub!

Go West, Young Babbit: Road Trip 2010 -- It's Official!

A summer baby in 2009 meant no vacation, which means Babbit the Blue Rabbit is more than ready to hit the road! Gas money has been saved, hotels have been reserved, and landmarks are being mapped -- Road Trip 2010 is official. In precisely six weeks, Babbit will leave Texas for a grand adventure. Twelve states in eighteen days makes for one very happy bunny.