Stuck on You

It has been a day of stickers so far today. Stickers at the dentist, a Tractor Ted sticker for Baby Small and helping with the farm show stickers at Fishers Farm.

The two big smalls went to the dentist today for the first time ever. Thanks to a Charlie and Lola et al they had a rough idea what to expect but I had made plain to them that if they did not feel comfortable they did not have to go ahead and open their mouths and I would not make them. As a victim of over zealous dentistry in the 1970s, back in the days when dentists were paid by the filling, I am not the biggest fan.

The dentist was very kind and talked to them about eating sugar. He is of the opinion that tooth brushing doesn't really matter, it is your sugar consumption and the frequency, not the quantity, that is important. He did have a display of toothbrushes for sale however!

Unsurprisingly, he recommended that both of the smalls each require a filling in a back molar and the receptionist was very surprised when I said that we would go home and talk about it first before making a follow up appointment. I have explained to them that we can see another dentist and see what s/he says and that this is called a "second opinion" or that we can do nothing and there is a risk that an abscess might develop but for now they are adamant that they do not want to have a filing. I am not going to make them. Had my teeth not been drilled apart and shoveled full of mercury I do wonder whether they would have self healed. I would imagine that my maternal grandparents would be horrified at the notion that you could ever challenge or have an opinion other that that of a medical professional and I recall the huge respect that they had for their regular family doctor who had held their hand through life's hatchings, matchings and dispatchings. They would have been disbelieving at the notion that many doctors are incentivised by huge pharmaceutical companies but for us, having had our 3 children at home with independent midwifes and for me through my role as a breastfeeding counselor I have arrived at a place where I see that 'health professionals' don't always know the best or most up to date information.

After the dentist we went to our local haunt Fishers Farm, and although it seems like we are there very often we never have the same experience two visits in a row. Baby Small was bit sad when we arrived but the lovely Janey gave him a tractor ted sticker and he soon perked up. No soft play or pony rides today but instead a soaking in splash attack, the new island has been named wild cat island from 'Swallows and Amazons,' as it is next to the pirate ship, and a chance to bottle feed the calves which is fab as they have missed out the last few times we have been to the farm show and when a big school trip walked in I thought they would be disappointed again but as these calves are new I wonder if their experience was the winning factor in being chosen!! For me I have been a bit grumpy today, daft really as the sun is shining, probably PMT, probably 48 hours til pay day and the occasional frustrations of being a full time Mum, partly though the boys have been driving me a bit nuts - Baby Small ran off and ran into splash attack in all his full clothes and leather shoes and Middle Small has been pretty naughty in places, apart from in the dentist where he was cherub angel and on the stage at the farm show. I must have asked him to be gentle and stop being so boisterous 20 or more times today. His best toys are upstairs where he can play without interference from his toddler brother but today he decided to bring them downstairs then went crazy when O touched them. I read all these books and articles about reasoning and gentle parenting but when he is unkind to his brother he just lights my touch paper. He has been too bouncy! I need a new approach. He is boisterous. I can't keep criticizing him for being himself! We did have fun making pizza dough and he has, today, finished Peter & Jane 3a so it is not all bad. I got soaked through at splash attack, proper wet T shirt competition entrant, whilst the other mothers are reading heat magazine and chatting on their mobile phones I seem to be chasing around like a headless chicken, changing, drying, suncreaming. Just as well I didn't get to sit in a deck chair, if past performance is any guide to future I probably wouldn't be able to get out!