Just give me the drill and noone will get hurt...

So...remember my last post where i had admitted that sometimes i feel like i need to do everything myself if i want it done right? It was one of those days. Last week little man Spence went to the dentist for a cleaning. We prepped, talked, and of course the foolish Mama acted it out for the little boy. I'm telling you, I really am getting closer to Oscar caliber with regard to my acting skills. The more i practice, the more i refine my craft. I act a lot of things out to demonstrate how routine things happen and it gives my boy another means of understanding what to expect. So before the appointment, i lay on the couch, put my sun glasses on like they do at our dentist (evidently this is good for keeping your own spit from blinding you). I have my giant yap hanging open and use the electric toothbrush to show Spencer what to expect. I make some fierce grinding and buzzing sounds all the while trying to keep the gaping mouth wide open. I believe i may have even drooled on myself. But hey, if it gets me through the appointment...then whats a little spit down the front of my shirt? Not attractive, but yet another gesture all in the name of love. Anyway, Spencer watched intently, and ends up in hysterics on the floor, probably because his Mama looks like such a dingbat with her pink sunglasses and spittle coming out of her mouth.


The appointment came and Spencer was a trooper. He sat up in the chair, and followed all directions. Then the dreaded happened......a cavity. Arrrrghhh. All i can think of is how i am going to act this out? I certainly know that it is not an option for me to act out stabbing myself in the gum with a giant toothpick, and goodness knows i can't bring in the drill from the garage to demonstrate what awaits him in the near future. The swollen tongue and funny talking that comes after a cavity? How shall i get into character for this? Perhaps just jamming 47 cotton balls in my mouth would suffice as i put on my theatrical version of "Seriously the Dentist is a Nice Man". Good times? I think not.

On that note we rebook the appointment for a couple of days later. To be honest, i just said we were going back to the dentist as i was too much of a coward to tell him anything more. Yeah I clucked like a chicken all the way to the dentist office. So we arrive, and Spencer sits in the chair and proceeds to shut down, close up shop and pretty much exit the building. At least in his mind anyway. No talking, no eye contact, and you would have needed the jaws of life to get that mouth open. So I explain to the dentist about his receptive/expressive language delays. He says "What does that mean?" I tell him, but am thinking the whole time "Are you charging me by the minute while i explain this?...and secondly i thought "You make the big bucks, attended some form of medical school, you should know this stuff Jack A$$". Instead i just smiled, and asked if we could book one more appointment to try again. He was very kind to agree, stating that the alternative would be a specialized dentist who will "get the job done". Immediately i thought of Tony Soprano holding a spit sucker and a little mirror. God I kill myself...:)

Today was the day. I got up, and prepped about every 10 mintutes. Reminder after reminder. I did my Days of Our Lives version on the couch again. Spencer was still refusing, but with time and the knowledge that his mother is even more stubborn than him, Spencer finally said "Ok Mama, I go". Mind you i had promised him a trip to the park afterwards which i think was the thing that sealed the deal. So off we went. Spencer climbed up in the chair, did not miss a beat. Made eye contact, was sweet and even tried to talk with the spit sucker in his mouth. The dentist filled that cavity, and Spencer the Mighty endured this without freezing. He's so cool, and very very tough. Another proud moment and a huge sense of relief. I wasn't really sure what I was going to have to do if i had to act out the dentist scene on my couch again.

Bottom line, we survived and endured and all for the bargain price of $175.00. Seeing my son proud of himself for being brave was worth every penny.