Last Friday, A-squared (better known as Big and Little A and I wanted to type an A with a little 2 in the upper right corner but couldn't figure out how) had dentist appointments. Big A has had cleanings before. In fact, she's even had a
frenulectomy and a filling. Little A has been there but the most we've gotten out of her is a counting of her teeth...due to the fact that her head was about turning around Exorcism style as a a roar only the Devil could make bellowed out of her tiny body. The Dentist was NOT someone she ever wanted to make a friend.
But this time was different. Maybe four is the magic age. Maybe the fantastic light-up toothbrushes that Big A brought home in the past finally tempted her just enough. But this time...she walked off with the hygienist without giving me a backwards glance. She walked off hand in hand as if she had found a new lifelong friend. In fact, I questioned whether to stay with Big A in the x-ray area or go with Little A. Big A looked at me like, "Duh mom..I'm fine." So I followed Little A - feeling a strange sense of "my-little-one-just-took-one-minute-step-in-growing-up-and-I'm-happy-but-also-strangely-melancholy-about-it."
She climbed up on her chair, accepted the pair of black shades that made her look uber-cool, and grinned at the hygenist. The chair lowers and Little A - in her cool black shades, ripped jeans, tennis shoes and fuzzy sweater - was just about the cutest darn thing I had ever seen in my life. I was sitting at a point where her little feet pointing towards the ceiling were just adorable. It was something about her feet. And this little tiny body on this big adult-sized dentist chair (which is kind of funny considering it's a children's dental office). She picked out her flavor or fluoride treatment, she giggled when they cleaned her teeth, and she LOVED the water gun and sucker-thing that sucked up all the water from her mouth. She loved the Ariel toothbrush she received as well as the really cool pink star glasses that she picked out at the end of her cleaning.
She was smitten. She LOVED going to the dentist.
Then the hygienist said that the DENTIST had to come look at her teeth. The DENTIST was a man in scrubs and a mask with a deep voice, working in another room on another patient...and the sound of a drill coming from that room was somewhat loud.
And Little A's face changed.
I could see the tears welling up. The hygienest and I were both telling her it was just fine...he would just count her teeth and make sure they got cleaned well. She wasn't buying it. The bottom lip started to quiver, the eyes got bigger and bigger and she finally looks directly at me and utters these words:
"Mommy....I don't want the dentist to grill my teeth."
Need I tell you that for as naughty as that child can be, for the temper tantrums she's thrown in public places, for the tormenting she's done of our poor cat (none terrible - mostly just chasing and shouting), for the sass she's given me at such a young age.....I was irrevocably, instantly and fantastically charmed by this adorable statement. It was all I could do to not giggle...and it was all I could do to not sweep her up in my arms and smother her with kisses.
I calmly explained that he wasn't going to grill her teeth...or even drill her teeth. He was only going to look at them. And I finally convinced her. And he came an looked. And he's kind of cute and very nice and Little A seemed to warm to him. After all..he's a children's dentist. You don't take that job if you don't like kids. At least...I would HOPE you wouldn't.
Big A did fine. She's a seasoned pro. She didn't even wear the shades this time. Just plopped down like she owned the joint.
And Little A - she's fine with the dentist now. At least right now....because as good as she did during her visit....she still had two cavities. Fruit snacks and really deep grooves in her back teeth do not a happy partnership make.
She's got another appointment on December 4. In the "grilling" room.
I haven't broken that news to her yet.