Year in Review-Drama Queen (and King)

Its already the first week in January and I have yet to do my year in review list. For 2009 I mean. Its already been a whopper.

Heres what happened. My little Gracie had all these teeth hidden way up high in her gums. She kind of has long gums anyway. Charlie can touch his toungue to his nose but I dont think Gracie can on account of her gums being so long. Anyway dentists xrays showed she had teeth way up there under her nose. The oral sergeon said she would have to be put under. We wanted laughing gas but he let on that the sergery would require more than just laughing gas. We didnt really take the hint. Linda told Gracy that she would take her for a milkshake after the appointment. We didnt want to make a big deal out of it. We wanted it to sound fun. It wasnt much fun at all.



After the operation Linda called from the road and said Gracie was having a time. I can usually make my kids stop crying on command if needed. I tell them, get ahold of yourself man! Because I dont want them spiralling out of control. I want them to know that they can be in command of their own selves. I let them cry but enough is enough after the alloted time which I dictate. If they wind down on their own fine. If they wind up and begin braying like donkeys they have to stop. I can only stand so much braying. Especially if I'm driving which I wasnt.

Pookie generally lets them carry on and on and eventually the issue as with many issues turns into some kind of discussion that turns to arguement and before long the children are winning the arguement which Pookie counters with Gettysburg address style explanations to which the children then counter with whinning and soon the entire household is swallowed up in this obnoxios whinefest until I walk in, guns a blazin' style and say, Get ahold of yourselves man! - sometimes getting ahold of them personally untill order is restored. When I leave my wife wipes her brow and says Who was that masked man? And I saunter back off in the sunset blowing on my pointer finger. Gunslinger style.



Anyway I heard Gracie crying in the background but didnt say anything which was a miracle. Its kind of a fog now, I may have told Linda to pass the word that daddy said stop crying or that might have been just a thought and I may have kept my mouth shut.

When they got home Gracie was crying and limp and her mom packed her into the house. Her little sweet face was disfigured from the swelling and her mouth was caked with blood and she was disoriented and a little on the hysterical side. She kept feeling her stitches with her tounge and crying. She looked like she had been in an accident.

I saw the stupid milkshake on the counter- Linda did keep her word on that even amidst all the drama and wailing but still I thought how preposterous , this innocent little kid had to go through this mess because we just took the dentist word for it that she needed the operation and pretended it was no big deal. The doctor is going to jerk out a squadron of baby teeth lodged in your nose real quick and then we'll get a milkshake and go shopping and it will be fun. Right. Probably God was trying to warn me and I turned a deaf ear on him and now my daughter is paying for it. Nice parenting. Moron.

So I went back into the room and layed my face on her little pillow and made all kinds of promises to her that I'm now pretty sure the drug induced disorientation made her forget. I told her daddy will get you anything you want and buy you anything you want and I meant everyword of it. Although at the time I was thinking dollar store which she loves. Pathetic comes to mind. I could tell the crying was even getting to Linda by now but sometimes it is necessary in times like these. Besides I couldnt stop. That, I think, is what finally brought Gracy to her senses- when she saw how upset I was and how much I loved her. The part about me buying her anything she wanted didnt hurt either. I made Charlie come in and watch a movie with us. He was keeping his distance.

We got a little something in her belly, then some pain meds. She slept a little during the movie and wanted her milkshake. Then she wanted to get up and go play wii with Charlie. Then she wanted more milkshake. Then Wade came home and he was extra nice to her and they were pals and played some games on the computer. A little later she was skipping accross the living room to her bedroom - dancing style skipping. Later that night they all played, and argued and whinned and were generally way too loud and obnoxious and spiralling out of controll. Just the way I like it.