{A First Time For Everything: The Dentist}

This week Anders had his first dental appointment. I'm not going to lie, we hadn't really talked to him much about going to the dentist or what it involves. Honestly, I didn't know what to expect myself. I have to wrestle the kid into the grocery cart seat each week, so the mere thought of getting him to sit still in an exam chair was enough to give me tremors. My hope remained in the fact that my dad, a dentist, had successfully given him a mini-exam during his most recent visit. However, I feared my toddler's mind wouldn't exactly correlate the MacGyver-esque exam, completed with two dining chairs and a flashlight in our living room, with a trip to the dentist's office.

It didn't take long before I knew we'd struck gold. Upon our arrival, Anders quickly discovered that the waiting room boasted a token-operated carriage ride. While we waited for his name to be called he loudly narrated his adventures to the entire waiting room, 'Ride. Horse. Sit. Chair.' I'm sure everyone else found it just as endearing as I did (or maybe not...).

We chose a pediatric dentist that a friend from my MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group recommended. He and the hygienist were so great with Anders. They showed him every tool they were working with and explained what they were doing. The hygienist even gave him some sunglasses so that her 'flashlight' wouldn't be so bright. Anders sat still and opened his mouth wide as they counted and cleaned his teeth. I was so proud! At the end of the visit he got a Cars toothbrush, a bouncy ball, and another token from the receptionist to ride the horse carriage. After all that loot, I'm sure he is looking forward to his next visit!

Sadly, Aksel had a blowout just as we were leaving. We trekked to the van where I spent the next 10 minutes sweating my life away (hello summer!) and cleaning the mess. Again, Anders helped narrate, 'Baby. Poopoo.' Yep, kid, that's an understatement.

As a reward for his outstanding behavior I decided to swing by Dairy Queen to pick Anders up a milkshake. They don't have kid sizes, so we were forced to split. I know, so sad. I poured his portion into a kiddie cup and passed it to the backseat. I think we all know where this is going...parenting fail! After drinking a good amount, he pulled off the lid before drinking spilling the rest. I can promise you this - I won't make that mistake again!

It was an eventful day to say the least. Considering I had to strip two kids, clean two outfits, and scrub two carseats when we got home, I would say going to the dentist was the least of my worries! Live and learn, people. Live and learn.