Friday started out like a normal day. I dropped Caroline off at school, came home and got back in bed with a cup of hot choffee (Half hot chocolate, half coffee. Trademark pending.) and waited for Regis and Kelly to come on. This is what my bout with SAD has done to me. It has led me down a dark road that causes me to turn on bad morning television because how am I supposed to leave the house and accomplish anything when it’s cold and rainy outside?
But right about the time I finished my choffee (trademark pending), I saw a strange light flooding in through my bedroom windows. And in the words of the oath I recited during my sorority pledge presentation in college, LO, THE SUN.
All of a sudden I turned back into a productive member of society assuming that the sign of a productive society member is someone who cleans their bathrooms, vacuums their rugs, sweeps the wood floors, showers, blow dries their hair and gets dressed in something other than velour sweatpants and a sweatshirt that reads “Texas Aggie Football 1993″.
(Sadly, 1993 was about the last time Aggie football was good and that is why I hold on to the shirt.)
And, yes, I realize I could have cleaned the bathrooms during my bout with SAD/becoming a hermit, but I kept thinking my maid was going to show up until I realized I don’t have a maid. Which just caused me to fall further into depression.
But the sun turned it all around for me. I felt like a new person, a person with dreams, goals, and ambitions! Well, maybe I’m getting carried away. It was the sun, not Zig Ziglar.
Speaking of Zig Ziglar, when I began my first job out of college, an ill-advised foray into financial sales, the company paid for me to attend a motivational seminar featuring a variety of speakers who were supposed to get you FIRED UP about life and your career. It totally worked and I left the Alamodome determined to be the best financial salesperson I could be despite my inability to balance my own checkbook. But then the O.J. Simpson trial started and I was powerless to do anything except watch the trial while I ate Ruffles potato chips dipped in ranch dressing. So you can add the death of my financial career to O.J.’s long list of crimes.
Anyway, the sun stayed out all day Friday and, much to my delight, showed up again on Saturday. P had to work all day Saturday because the rain has caused them to fall behind on a lot of jobs, but Caroline and I spent most of the day outside just soaking up the sun. After a winter full of nothing but gray skies, I’m afraid this may be the summer that I officially veer over into George Hamilton territory. But I have to remember that a sunny 70 degree day feels differently than a sunny 105 degree day. I’m sure MaMaw will pull out her sun hat by the time June hits.
Sunday morning decided to be a buzzkill and showed up with clouds and some drizzle. Caroline and I are both suffering from a lot of congestion and a chronic hacking cough so we stayed home from church, but she was invited to a birthday party later in the day. After the party, she came home and was looking through the party favor bag and found a candy necklace. Clearly there is nothing more precious to a six year old girl than an accessory made of processed sugar.
She took a bite of it and got a funny look on her face. I asked, “What’s wrong?” and she said, “I THINK MY TOOTH IS LOOSE.”
I wasn’t sure if I believed her because we’ve had loose tooth false alarms several times that have just turned out to be a wayward piece of Chex Mix, but, sure enough, one of her bottom teeth is officially loose. I’m not sure if it was loose before she bit into the candy necklace or if the candy necklace was the perpetrator, but whatever. She finally has a tooth to wiggle after years of bemoaning her dental misfortune.
And that’s all we heard about the rest of the day.
She wasn’t sure if she could put up her clean clothes because of her loose tooth. She didn’t know if she could carry her plate to the sink because of her loose tooth. She could hardly eat her tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwich because of her loose tooth. A tooth, by the way, that is less than half the size of my pinky nail.
When I tucked her into bed she thought she might need some Tylenol to help with the pain of her loose tooth and definitely needed a lullaby because of THE LOOSE TOOTH.
Honestly, where does she get the drama? Doesn’t she know there are real people, LIKE HER MOTHER, who are suffering from serious things like SAD?
But I sang her the lullaby because I knew it would make her smile. And I don’t know how many days we have left of that little smile that looks like baby Chiclets all lined up in a row.
They’ll be gone like the sun before I know it.
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Those last few lines are so poignant! This may be weird, but I know I’m a Big Mama fan when I find myself thinking about your blog when I’m driving home and thinking, “Maybe I’ll be up late enough to read Big Mama’s blog and be among the first to comment… I am the first! This is BIG!
oh, what a big milestone!!!! (((hugs)))
-erika
theurthmama.com
Thanks for making me smile this morning. It has been gray skies and depressing in Atlanta too. I need my daily dose of sunshine!! Rain is in the forecast again this week. I put a brochure for Aruba that came in the mail next to my husband’s computer (I don’t think he is getting the hint!)
OH my goodness. Saturday was glorious in Houston. I even had lunch outside. It was a little chilly but I was sitting in the SUN. And I woke up Sunday to grey skies…and rain forecasted all this week. And I’m SAD again…..except for the “GEAUX Saints!” part of the weekend!.
how funny! My son is also in the 1st grade and just now has a tooth that will wiggle just a little bit. He is so excited. apparently, being the last one in the class to get a loose tooth is not a good thing.
I too live where the sun doesnt like to shine probably more than that yours but none the less it hides and causes me to wonder why should I get out of bed today its feels like night all the time…Your post was great, Im reminded by my 4 year old everyday that the tooth fairy will be coming soon to bring her some new teeth so leave the door unlocked mommy she has money
by the way velor pants arent so bad!
Ahhh. We had sun in Austin Saturday. Glorious. Rain has returned today just in time for my first grade class to miss recess for another week. I’m sure they’ll be calm about it. Especially with the Valentine party offering “make your own ice cream sundaes”. That sales job doesn’t sound too bad this week…
Oh, I can SO relate to the LOOSE TOOTH drama.
And the dreary Texas weather is about to drive me batty.
Here’s to the return of the sun.
Please, please show us a picture of her new gappy grin as soon as she loses it… which, of course, won’t be for another 10 days or more. And I’m willing to bet that Caroline will be milking this for all it’s worth the whole time. ; )
I have to say that your complaints about your weather are falling on deaf ears here–we just got several inches of snow and on our way out of church yesterday it was about 25 degrees…and I was glad that it was feeling a little warmer.
But go ahead and complain, since it always comes out so funny. And we all know we could use a little humor in the midst of this truly freezing Indiana winter.
Start saving your pennies (dollars)…once the first one falls they are like dominos.
That must be what I have–SAD!! I spent the weekend cooped up in this house with two crazed kids and a big baby husband who keeps complaining that he is just dying from the pain of his (minor!!!) surgery from last Wed. And did I mention the 18 inches of snow? Totally blocking my path of escape. Bu the neighbors came and dug my driveaway and sidewalk out…I might wait until there’s something good on TV for them to watch before I make a break for it.
I can’t say where Caroline gets her dramatic flair, but if she’s anything like my husband, she’ll soon be claiming that the pain of her LOOSE TOOTH is worse than childbirth. Because she would totally know, right?
My girl turned 5 in dec. and has already lost 2 teeth. This second tooth was lost this past saturday night during a viewing of the movie Tooth Fairy. Thats right folks, my over-achiever daughter just had to lose a tooth during this movie because she knew her mother would tell everyone because it was so hilariously ironic.
Truthfully, she actually swallowed it while inhaling large amounts of popcorn.
Do you have any Baby Orajel? GET SOME. It’s perfect for “sore” loose teeth and comes in especially handy when the tooth really needs to come out, but the wee one is fearful of the pain.
p.s. I ate at a Freebirds/Chipotle knock-off in Michigan this weekend and nearly died from the awfulness.
Some mornings I wake up to read your blog and feel like you have chronicled my own life! The SAD here is wearing me down…22 degrees with no sign of spring til May. I have been researching trips to Florida in every spare moment.
My little boy has his first loose tooth and OH THE DRAMA. What on earth was I thinking serving corn on the cob for dinner last night?! By the way, it’s been “loose” for over a week..
And this morning, he put on a black shirt with his navy pants to wear to kindergarten. After 15 minutes of begging, pleading and bribing, I thought to myself, “oh well, Big Mama lets Caroline wear whatever she wants now too.” Nobody cares but me I’m sure.
Thanks for the laughs. They get me through.
Traci
I have absolutely no recollection of what the sun! I have no vitamin D left in my body.
No drama for us with the first tooth, the excitement overtook it. The drama snuck later, just when I got to feeling to big for my parenting pants. I got put in my place real quick!
When it comes time for the loose tooth to get yanked, a dot of oragel will take out any sting (real or imaginary). It may or may not work when they’re coming in, but it does work when they’re coming out!
Seriously, you have got to love that Sweet Caroline!!
She’s gonna be so cute with all those holes in her mouth.
I can relate to SAD! Here in the mid-west we get so much grey and snow and ice and then dirty snow and no sun or when it’s sunny you can’t even go outside because your eye lids will freeze. I do think Costco sells the SAD lamp and I am considering one currently. Our first tooth loss was two bottom teeth being pulled by the dentist. This could have been horrendous drama but li’l man described it as “I lost my teeth at the dentist”. Ya gotta love it. They really are so precious even when you want to wring their little necks. I do miss those itty bitty teeth though…
Love the drama! It reminds me of washing Kate’s hair…it’s like the minute the shampoo hits her head she is in agonizing pain beyond comprehension. Then I rinse it out and it’s back to rescuing the Little Einstein’s from the oversized lobster…drama!
Wiggle wiggle wiggle that tooth! And I have a case of SAD too. I need the sun!! I need it so much that I might have to go buy a sun lamp and sit under it for while.
I am so going to copy your coffee recipe!!! The sun has made it’s existance know here too!
Oh, we are no strangers to the loose tooth drama! My oldest has a top front tooth that is so loose the tooth has migrated to front and center, effectively causing him to resemble a snaggle-toothed jack-o-lantern. He closed himself in the bathroom a few days ago to pull it and a ray of light shone around us. He came out of he bathroom proud that he would be able to say his lines for the play correctly since his tooth wasn’t bothering him anymore. And I realized he pulled a BOTTOM tooh that I didn’t even realize was loose. Sigh. The bright side is that all we’ll need for Hallowen is some orange face paint b/c at this rate, that dang top tooth will still be hanging in there come October.
You are hilarious! I haven’t seen the sun in over a week and I’m definitely getting twitchy and unproductive. My solution is a cruise with friends in a couple weeks, you should do the same!!
Feeling a little SAD here. We have snowflakes falling the size of golf balls here in Little Rock! I HATE the cold, dreary weather! I’m ready for SUMMER!!
Too funny! When my oldest daughter lost her first tooth, the next morning, she said, “Mom, do you think I’ll be on the news about my tooth?”
Lesson for the day? Big news around here doesn’t always equate to big news in the great, wide world, my dear.
I used to take a packet of hot chocolate, toss it in a cup, and instead of adding water or milk I would just put in some coffee. It was awesome!
Well, we got 3 FEET of snow on Saturday. I’m looking at a week with the kids home EVERYDAY. I would die for some sunshine right now! I’m feeling a little like Laura Ingalls Wilder (except with wifi, indoor heating, and TV). Man, how did they make it through those long winters???
Anyway, can I give you some advice about the tooth fairy thing? Just make sure you specify that the 1st tooth lost gets the biggest prize. It helps if the kids understand that they are not going to get something big for every single tooth! I may or may not be speaking from experience with 3 kids and what seems like 1000 teeth.
Before long, Caroline will look like my yr old….two bottom teeth peeking through, crooked enough in their half-reveal to have me sweating.
I’m not superficial, right?
Right?
OK. That was supposed to say “6 yr old”…
geesh
The sun has failed me too! It’s supposed to be sunny and warm in Texas year round!! What is wrong with this year?? Doesn’t it know we are not meant to live in a climate of cloudy skies and RAIN 5 months in a row?? What are we, the Pacific Northwest?
My little guy can hardly wait to lose his first tooth! He keeps asking me if he will EVER lose a tooth? I keep assuring him that it will happen, just not fast enough for him!!
Not to completely disregard the milestone of Caroline’s loose tooth, but the fact that you used the term “buzzkill” about a Sunday morning totally made my day.
Normally, it’s a cold, grey, rainy winter in the Pacific NW, but this year, weirdly, the sun has been shining more. My trees and flowers are in for a shock if winter ever does hit here. But I can relate to the SAD-like tendencies because usually about February I’m dying to head to OK/TX for the sun. This year, not so much.
About the teeth: Take pictures! I took pictures of my 6 yo before he lost his first teeth. Pictures of his profile, his smile, so many pictures he was all “Mommy!” on me! I’m dreading/awaiting-with-eagerness the day when he loses the top two. Where has the time gone?
YAY, Caroline! Unlike the teething process, the losing process isn’t so painful. I take that back. Your little “Miss Hollywood” might just make this your most interesting adventure yet.
I miss those baby Chiclet teeth! My son has lost five teeth now, and while his two bottom adult teeth have both grown in with their big, giant ridges, he’s only gotten ONE top tooth in to replace the THREE it knocked out. This tooth is massive. It reminds me every day that he’s no longer my baby. It’s so SAD!
This is going to be us when my 5 year old finally gets a loose tooth. It will incapacitate her for days, if not weeks.
I know this because a scratched knee will cause her to limp EVERYWHERE and barely be mobile for at least 3-5 days. (And she never, ever forgets to limp.)
I wish you good luck and patience…and more sunshine!
A loose tooth trumps SAD any day! In fact, a missing tooth may trump a nation disaster. It’s THAT BIG!!! I speak from experience of course.
-FringeGirl
Wow, what different phases we all are in with my kids. My little guy is finally getting teeth (at 15 months old) and is cutting 5 at the same time.
By the way, I saw an interview Heidi Klum did recently (I think w/ Jay Leno) and she was talking about the tooth fairy coming to see her daughter. Her daughter wanted to see a picture of the tooth fairy. So, she dressed up like the TF and had on a scarf on her head with a tiara on top. The picture was of her back and of her leaving the money under her daughter’s pillow. Her daughter was very excited to see the TF picture. It was a really cute story. So, in the words of Tim Gunn my advice to you is, “Make it work.” LOL
I haven’t even read the post yet, but oh my word! I LOVE the new look! Great job, whoever designed it! Even the font is great! Ok, now I’ll go back up and read.
You changed you blog! I like it. But I may need a 1 minute’s worth of silence for the old blog.
Oh, and you want to talk about drama & loose teeth? When I was about 6 or 7, I was eating a cheeseburger at McDonalds & actually SWALLOWED my wiggly tooth because I thought it was a bit of onion. Yep. I swallowed it. I don’t need to tell you that I FREAKED OUT. Bu 15 (or 14) years later, no harm done apparently.
wowie wow! love the new look! it’s a very appropriate amount of girly.
also, I was laughing out loud reading about how you are in SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS suffering from rain-induced SAD. i live in the upper Midwest, where our highest temperature this week will be 25, and we haven’t seen the sun since, i don’t know, September, and Punxatawney Phil says we won’t see it for another 6 weeks. San Antonio is where people like us go to break free from our SAD. i feel for you, i really do.
Love the new look:) It’s fabulous!
Love the new look!!!
It’s pretty here.
Love the new look. Can’t find your blogroll – I read several of them daily all from your link.
Since I know you so well…I feel I can offer the opinion “This blog style suits you very, very well!”
Carry on! : )
LOVE the new design!
I don’t have the teeth issues with my two youngins yet….
But, I am diggin the new look!!
Oh, you Aggies! I feel so sad for your top rated recruiting class, your winning season, and your bowl bid!! Says the so NOT bitter Baylor grad!! -wink –
)
Congrats on the loose tooth. . . and I hope you survive the drama!
Check you out with the new design!! LOOOOVE it!!
love love love the new design! so pretty!
My oldest lost 8 teeth before Kdg , but she lost one today as a second grader. She is so pumped! My 6 year old is still anticipating the milestone. Love your new design. TONS of rain right now in B-town, yuck!
I triple love the new design and theme. LOVE IT! =)
I recognized “LO, THE SUN!” Although did you change one of those words? Are we sisters?
L&L,
Juice
Do NOT rush the losing of the baby teeth. The sooner they lose them, the sooner they slap braces onto the 6 new teeth in their mouth. My oldest is slow to lose his baby teeth, and God love him, he’s twelve and still holding on to way too many to allow for braces. The younger child, of course, is racing to adulthood faster than a speeding bullet, so as soon as the orthodontist (since they start sending them at the age of SEVEN) mentioned braces after all the baby teeth were gone, I swear he pulled one out every time I turned around. Cuz is it really possible to lose 5 teeth in a two-week span? So he is now sporting the metal on the 6 permanent teeth he has in the top of his mouth, and next month, they will attach a few brackets to the few teeth he has on the bottom. I’m guessing the kid just gums his food with all of that open space, but he is SOOOO happy and looks forward to changing the rubber band colors each month. That is just NOT the experience of braces that I remember.
I have been reading your blog for almost a year now and have never commented, but tonight I am taking the time to. I absolutely love your sense of humor! I feel like we would be kindred spirits if we lived in the same neighborhood, went to the same church, or had kids that went to school together. But, I live in The Woodlands, and my kids are 14 and 17. I did grow up in SanAntonio (went to MacArthur High School), and I love reading your blogs that have SAT info. Thank you for your blogs. They are highlights in my otherwise humdrum weeks. Blessings to you!!
Because I live in SEATTLE your SAD posts crack me up. I don’t know if you’re aware of this but it rains in Seattle a LOT. If ever you’re feeling SAD just pull up weather.com and check out my weather. Rainy and 50. Rainy and 50. Tomorrow? Uh, I think it’ll be rainy and 50. Today we got a treat: Rainy and 39!! With FOG. (i also realize this comment is a day late but my mom and niece were visiting and i was busy busy). Hang in there. I’m sure your SAD will improve.
LO, THE SUN.
Please, please, please, tell me you are also an ADPi…
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