Rock Stars

So, these kids are total rock stars...

Going to the dentist for their their regularly scheduled check up...they both argued over who was going to go first...
Pretty awesome - considering the last time we were at the dentist, someone needed multiple fillings! ACK!

We went to a new dentist this time - it's not that we didn't love the dentist we saw this past winter - what I didn't love is their business office practices, or lack there of.

We were told that little miss H - due to the deep grooves (genetics - suck!) in her teeth, would need 3 fillings...

ugh. The 'good faith estimate' was $182.00 - or somewhere in that ballpark...

After the fact - and a bill for several hundred dollars MORE than that later - and numerous calls to their business office...I couldn't bring myself to return to this clinic with our children. Turns out - they only 'guess' what your bill could be - they don't actually check with anyone's insurance - 'Everyone's insurance is different' they tell me - AFTER the fact.

ugh.

So wish I'd of known that they didn't ACTUALLY check with our insurance before we scheduled it all - fillings for baby teeth, sealant for baby teeth - all of which insurance does. not. cover.

Anyway, that and the office staff's inability to correctly run & charge our HSA credit card (which they did run - multiple times!) prompted us to go elsewhere this time...

And these two did great...

you guys do a great job of brushing at home & helping them out!

Their gums look great ~ she told me .

But me...

Well, the assistant whipped right through their cleanings...speedy fast & got us done early...but then, we had 45 minutes to sit in this little room W A I T I N G...

ugh.

The kids were getting squirrely. Especially the boy. Climbing up and down that fancy chair, wandering around the room, begging to get going home & get outside...

The assistant suggested next time we book their appointments for the same time, in different rooms. "Um, so my husband and I can BOTH use vacation time to come here, instead of just one of us? Your hours aren't very convenient for working parents."

You could go back and forth between rooms ~ she tells me.

Um - ok? So my 3 year old, who incidentally, cried because the xrays hurt so bad (don't I know it Buddy! I hate them too!) can just hang out in there without a parent, with sharp, pokey dental tool thingys within reach?

I don't think so lady.

And then, we got the joys of her showing the kids giant full color pictures of rotten teeth while she told them that this is what will happen if they eat fruit snacks or other sticky foods or drink chocolate milk or juice. And when she was done scaring the shit out of them...She proceeded to lecture me on how I shouldn't be buying anything with high fructose corn syrup in it, yada yada yada.

Thanks Lady.

I have enough battles to fight right now...If I want to give my kids some Yogurt that contains HFCS and they will actually eat it - You can bet we're buying it...by the case.

When I thought I couldn't be more annoyed - I was then instructed to bring toothbrushes AND FLOSS to daycare -because what good is brushing BEFORE breakfast...the kids need to brush AFTER breakfast.

huh.

All I could picture was our poor daycare provider - with 12 kids between the ages of 2 & 5, standing in a bathroom that comfortably holds 2 people at once, spitting toothpaste out on the sink, the mirror, the floor, their clothes - EACH OTHER!

I'm pretty sure it's all they can do to get all the kids to make it to the potty on time...toothbrusing - AND FLOSS! At DAYCARE?

Sounds fantastic in theory but again - There are other battles to fight...

By the time the dentist came in I was so over this visit, and so were the kids...That I could barely even listen to anything she had to say.

Next time - The hubs takes the kids to the dentist & I save my PTO hours for something a little bit less stressful.

Twice a Day Challenge...

Well, we are one week into Metro Dentalcare's Two Minutes Twice a Day for Two Weeks Challenge ~
As you know - we kicked it off last Wednesday ~

Are you playing along? You do remember that by simply committing to brush your teeth & saying it out loud on the interwebs...you will be entered to win one of two sets of FOUR Twins Tickets to see them playing at the gorgeous new Target Field!???!

Certainly one of the hottest tickets in town!

It doesn't get much easier than this folks!

To join me in this challenge:
1) Brush your teeth twice a day, for two minutes, for two weeks.
2) Leave a comment here telling me that you are up for the challenge!
3) Share how its going with YOUR network. To qualify for an entry, post an update to your Facebook status (tagging MetroDentalCare), or write on their wall, tweet about it (using hashtag #twiceaday) or if you have your own blog, share a post (and link to MetroDentalCare).

REMEMBER!!!
The more you post, tweet and tag Metro Dental Care on Facebook, the more chances you have to win...

That's it! Easy peasy right?

Soooooooo ~ how's it going at OUR house?

Pretty well - thanks to the awesome timers the kids got from Metro Dental Care. Seriously. They LOVE the timers. If you are having trouble getting your kids to brush - get a cute little sand timer like we are using...

No more 20 second we're outta here brushing...





Though the 6:15 am brushing before we head out to daycare & work 4 mornings a week is a bit sketchy...they happily brush their teeth twice in the evenings...Does that count?
And as for my own added twist...the flossing challenge...
Why is it sooooooooooo hard?

It's not too late...Go ahead...pick up that toothbrush!

Two Minutes Twice a Day for Two Weeks Challenge

If you know me in real life - you know that I have a total phobia of the dentist. I really really hate going to the dentist. We didn't go regularly as kids and so when we did - it was because there was an issue...a big issue..like a bad cavity...
It's nothing against my dentist or my awesome hygienist. They are extremely nice folks...It's me...In fact, I was just there this past Monday, and while they assured me that I am improving, they also tell me there is still room for improvement...

In January I wrote a post for a blog as part of a network of my girlfriends all inspiring each other to get healthier...

My dental habits are not boding well for my dental anxiety.

I've been bound and determined to make dental hygiene and dentist visits both routine and fun for our kids...Starting young is the key right?
Sadly, our girl already had to endure her first fillings...yes, I said FILLINGS! this past February.
GAH!
I was told that a lot of children's dental health is determined by genetics.
Great. Now I feel even WORSE about things! Thankfully our son still has picture perfect dental health!

Anyway - our little girl got through the appointment fairly well...Though even with the laughing gas...there were a few tears. (Hers and mine!)
So how do we go forward and put this behind us and do our best to make sure it doesn't happen again?

Well, we accept
Metro Dental Care's Two Minutes. Twice a Day for Two Weeks Challenge!

Brushing our teeth for two minutes. Two times every day. For TWO straight weeks.
And to up the ante on this challenge...I'm going to add flossing to my portion of the challenge.

I brush twice a day, but flossing? eh...not-so-much.
Our kids love to brush, and floss, their teeth...but if I'm being honest here, we don't typically brush their teeth on the mornings we are rushing to get out the door by 6:30 am - which is four days a week.

So...the gauntlet has been thrown down.
Two Minutes. Twice a Day. Two Weeks.

Want to join in on this challenge? Not only will the only set of teeth you are given thank you - but Metro Dental Care has sweetened the pot!
No, not with ice cream or candy bars or other things that may seem sweet to you ~ that would be just plain silly!
This is something even SA-WEEEET-A!

Tickets to a MINNESOTA TWINS GAME!
Yep...that's right! Join in this challenge and you have a shot at winning one of two sets of FOUR tickets to see the Minnesota Twins at their glorious new outdoor stadium! (Trust me - this is one hot ticket! I had a VERY hard time getting tickets for our family of four to see the Twins at Target Field!)

What do you need to do?

Join me in this challenge. Brush your teeth twice a day, for two minutes, for two weeks. Leave a comment here telling me that you are up for the challenge!
Share how its going with YOUR network. To qualify for an entry, post an update to your Facebook status (tagging MetroDentalCare), tweet about it (using hashtag #twiceaday) or if you have your own blog, share a post (and link to MetroDentalCare).

The more you post, tweet and tag Metro Dental Care on Facebook, the more chances you have to win...




Disclosure Statement: I am not being paid to participate in this challenge. I have been a patient at MetroDentalCare for the last 12 years. The Twins tickets giveaway is hosted by MetroDentalCare and the winner will be selected by and notified by them. A handful of bloggers are participating in this challenge and all readers are welcome to participate in this challenge/enter to win the Twins tickets. I am not eligble to win the Twins Tickets - BOO! However, Metro Dental Care has invited me to attend a St. Paul Saints game as their guest.

the shoes make the outfit -

It's been said that the shoes make the woman. Or the shoes make the outfit.
Or maybe I'm just totally making that up...but one thing is for sure - our little girl looooves her some shoes.
Boots - knock off uggs, princess snowboots, kitty rainboots.
Flip flops, ruby red slippers. Tennis shoes, patent black leather shoes...
She has, and loves, all of them.

When she had her first birthday - or was it her second?
She got her first pair of 'fancy' shoes...I'm going to say second - because it was a whole dress up set that she got - a pink satin 'gown', feather boa, sunglasses and shoes...

I remember thinking - oh Lord, those SHOES...she will NEVER wear those shoes...

Well, these very shoes...she has worn OUT over the last two and almost half years...
in fact, they've been glued, and taped, and super glued, and packaging taped up, time and time again...but oh how she looves her fancy shoes!


And the dress...the dress still fits...and she wears it. A. LOT. She just loooooves 'staying home days' so she can keep this pretty thing on all day long...

And sport it with her brand spankin' new fancy shoes!

(and even on not-staying-home days, she rushes to put this on when we get home...and each night, after tucking her in one last time, we more times than not are sliding these plastic gems off of her tired little feet)
I tell ya what - the best $6.69 a parent could have spent...
Three pairs of fancy shoes, two tiaras...Walgreens baby!
(Even more awesome is that I was THIS CLOSE to spending $20 on one tiara at Walt Disney World a few weeks ago-but I thought better of it...)

She is pretty comical...She has a system (that she doesn't follow). She'll say..."The purple shoes are for Tuesdays. These fancy ones with the flowers, these are for staying home days" and it is absolutely priceless to watch. I love that these crazy plastic play shoes make her so incredibly happy.
In fact, she wore the darker pink ones above to the dentist on Friday - with a fresh done-by-mom pedicure complete with flower stickers on all ten of her toes...It was an awfully cute site to watch her little toes curling up in these shoes while she sat in the dentist chair trying 20x over to get some decent bite wing pics...(We never did!)

I'm going to let her wear these shoes again NEXT Friday - when we return to have some cavities filled. Our poor little princess. She's inherited my teeth. (They tell me it's hereditary-teeth issues.)
So...She'll get some laughing gas to help her relax (they don't have any for me - I asked!) and I'll paint her toes a beautiful rainbow of colors and let her concentrate on those while she's being a brave little girl next week...
We're going to need more than fancy shoes and pedicures to get through this one!