I Kicked A Chair

Which is rather an odd title for a post...but not quite as odd as if I had titled it "I Kicked The Bucket"...now that would be an odd title.

Now what was I doing?

Oh yes...I kicked a chair. Accidentally, of course. I was reaching into the fridge to retrieve my water bottle while simultaneously executing a grand battement to the rear. I like to multitask, OK? Anyway, I just forgot the chair was there behind me, that's all. Not very comfortable, but no damage done -- to the chair or to the foot. Now, if it had been a grand battement to the front...that might have tipped the chair over, not to mention hurting my *pointed* toes. :)

Have you noticed this is a random post? Yeah I know, I'm way overdue for one. Used to be I did one like every few weeks...now I'm doing good to do one every few months. *Sigh* Life has gotten more complicated...which of course is the natural turn of events, but still......

I kicked the dishwasher door once too... I was pirouetting around the kitchen, and the door was lying open at about ankle height... Yep. Didn't know ballet was so dangerous, did you?

Speaking of which, I'm not taking ballet again this next semester. :( I will really, really miss it. But I can't afford it. Taking it as a class is not very expensive, except that the time is right during the time that I'm at work...y'all know that I work for an elementary-age daycare, right? So yeah, it's been costing me quite a bit to be at the class twice a week. When you only work 2 1/2 hours a day, working only three days is a whole lot less moolah in your check than working five days. And I can't afford to go to a studio to take lessons, so I'm stuck. Guess I'll just have to keep chasse-arabesque-ing around the house, and repeating my cabrioles at the kitchen counter. Ballet has helped me a lot in becoming more graceful and balanced.

On the other hand, I will be taking voice class again, which should be fun. I do like to sing, especially when I'm warmed up and can correctly hit the notes!!! 'Course, if you believe the old cowboy saying, everyone can sing - just not everyone can carry a tune! ;)

Change of topic: Went to the dentist today.

Now, if you happen to like going to the dentist, would you please leave me a comment? You deserve an award or something. Personally, I strongly dislike going to the dentist. It's nothing personal, really. In fact, my current dentist is a very nice gentleman...actually, the entire dentist office is very nice, from the receptionist to the techs to the hygienist to the dentist himself. They're all very friendly, smiley, and chatty. Like, very chatty.

The main hygienist is a sweet, tough little lady from New Jersey who has more stories to tell than you can shake a stick at, and can usually manage to keep up a running story the entire time she's in your mouth -- I think it's intended to take your mind away from what's going on. It's either that or watch the television two feet away from your head. And I'm sorry, but there's rarely anything worth watching on tv...but that's a whole 'nother rant. :)

The dentist is a very nice gentleman. Likes to banter and make you smile. However, he has a habit of asking questions while his fingers are in my mouth. Which I usually end up answering with a 'uh-huh' or 'uh-uh', because what else can you do with someone's fingers in your mouth, short of biting them?

I actually had gone to the dentist last week...bleh. He said I needed to come back today...double bleh. You wanna know why? He said I had 3 cavities...triple bleh, literally!!

I don't know about you, but I don't like needles. Like, I really don't like needles...REALLY don't like. Especially in my mouth. I mean, some parts of your body seem like they should be exempt from needles, you know what I mean? And mouths seem to me to fall into that category.

However, given the choice between the needle and the drill...bring on the needle!

I should say needles...

All three of those cavities were in the same area, oddly enough. The lower right jaw. Maybe I don't brush as well there or something?????

So first he puts in there a roll of cotton soaked with some sort of slightly-numbing goop. And then comes the first needle. And it pinches. Like, really pinches. Half my brain is saying, Just relax. Relax. It'll be better if you relax. While the other half is screaming, There's a NEEDLE in my MOUTH!! GET IT OUT!!!! My whole body tenses, my head pushes down hard on the chair's headrest, and every muscle strains -- some trying to leave the chair, others trying to keep from leaving the chair.

And then he pulls out that needle after like 10 minutes... OK it was probably more like 10 seconds or less, but it sure felt like a long, long time!! He swabs the area, tells me that there will be zero pain -- his exact words, zero pain -- with the next one, that I won't even feel it.

He lied.

I felt it. Granted, I didn't feel it very much -- just a little pain, a little discomfort. But I felt it.

This time he pulled it out and really did walk away for 10 minutes to give it time to kick in. By the time he came back I felt like that needle had been pumping air into my cheek and tongue, because they both felt like balloons. Again -- uncomfortable, but definitely preferable over the drill, all by itself!!

Meanwhile, as two sets of fingers (the dentist's and the tech's) are in my mouth, and all sorts of other tools as well, I'm trying my best to relax. It didn't work. So instead I focused on the tv.

They were playing some show called 'World's Strictest Parents'. It seemed to be this suburban family, mom, dad, and a couple young kids, that takes in rebellious teens and whips them into shape.

Now, I don't know about you, but I grew up in a Christian home, home educated, and usually hung out with other people who were also Christian and home educated. So pretty much all the families I saw were the same as mine: the children were obedient, respectful, and even cheerful with their parents. I sort of figured that was the norm. Then recently I started working for that elementary-aged daycare, and I realized pretty quick that what I was used to seeing is actually the exception! The majority of families don't seem to be very firm about obeying the first time, or being respectful to adults and to your parents, or obeying with a good attitude, or any of the other things that I was used to.

I was watching this show, World's Strictest Parents, and thinking, "Wow, are they supposed to be strict? They look normal to me!" I have never been taught to think that insisting on first time obedience, with a good attitude, and respecting your parents and other people...is strict. It's a foreign idea to me. Frankly, I thought these parents were doing really well, and the kids seemed to be shaping up pretty good, really responding to this kind of parenting. The parents never got mad, never got frustrated, but always showed that every action had consequences. When the teens did well, they were praised, and maybe even allowed to go out for a little while. But when they complained, were disrespectful, used bad words, refused to do the chores assigned to them, etc....there were always punishments. Usually pushups, but sometimes they also had to dig large holes in the ground. Again, when these were completed, they were always praised, and any good behavior was always reinforced with praise.

Interestingly enough, after having looked this show up, the family of the show is actually Mormon. Not too surprising, but I wish they were Christian.

Anyway....

I promise it will not be as long again before I write another random post...or even a meaningful post. When I have little time, I have a hard enough time managing the weekly Sunday Stills and now Simply Snickers. Did you happen to notice that both names have two words, and both words start with 'S'? I'm not ADD at all, now am I?!! :)

Wishing you all a blessed New Year!!