The first Thing I Do In The Morning is Brush My Teeth and Sharpen my Tongue"

I'm off to at late start today after a late night. Just as bedtime rolled around for The Boy last night, the Braves game resumed after a rain-delay. The Boy moaned and groaned and negotiated for 3 innings...and got it. So he was a bit grumpy this morning, along with Little One, who was nervous because she had an orthodontist appointment.

We got the big news last week that not only was it time for Little One to go back into braces, but she also needed to have this appliance called the "herbst". The Boy is already in this, and the cost is approximately that of a small car...so the orthodontist , who is actually an acquaintance and nice guy, started off the consultation by apologizing for what was about to happen. He talked about "these economic times" and "no pressure"...but here is the deal. When the orthodontist brings several people into the consultation to explain why things are necessary, you can basically count on a thousand dollars for every person he has brought into the room. So instead of listening to his very interesting explanation, I was multiplying by the number of people in the office to figure up how much I was going to owe.

He was also kind enough to remind me that there was a "summer promotion" going on...but that also meant that I had to make up my mind in the next 72 hours...because that is when the promotion ended...but "no pressure". Now look, I don't know why he bothered to say that, because basically he has already stepped through how Little One will look if we don't go through with it...so when he says "If you want to just hope she will grow out of it"...he really means "if you are a horrible mother who would not do this to help her child'....or maybe this is what I hear...Either way, we of course decided to proceed, and so by the end of the consultation, I was somehow having to comfort the orthodontist, because he was so distraught that I would, in essence, be paying for his children's college education....

As we walked out the orthodontist's door and got into the car to head back to school, Little One kindly asked me "Why are you wearing the same thing today that you wore yesterday?"...Well, I explained, I just wore this to your softball practice last night...it's clean...and I don't think I'll see anyone today that I saw last night." Little One gave me the glazed look she gives me when I have given too much explanation...Meanwhile, she was wearing the same uniform shirt from yesterday...but I left that little tidbit alone..

So I dropped her off, came home to change, and let The Husband know that there would be no birthday or Christmas presents this year...but there won't be any overbites either...

Until tomorrow....