Dentist

I took the kids to the dentist this morning, otherwise known as Dr. Doug. He is a pediatric dentist and his nurses are so cute is almost makes me sick. But the kids both love them, which is why I patronize his office. His waiting room has giant rubber balls and beanbags that the kids can roll around on while they wait. This was Leo's first time there ... he did great, chatting with the nurses and being as cute as can be. And miracle! He had no cavities! Relief flooded over me. Gabe has lots of silver "pirate teeth" as we call them, and had his sixth cavity filled today (thankfully a very small one. It only took 10 minutes). I don't know why his teeth are so bad. Well, actually he drank sippies until he was three and a half, and we didn't consistently brush his teeth until he was three, so I guess I do know part of the reason. I couldn't take him to his previous dental appointments, I was so scared he would cry and the smells made me sick (when I was pregnant) I couldn't stand it. Poor oldest kid. Lucky for Leo and Benji, parents catch on eventually.

I'll be needing to get back to working part time in a few weeks, and I'm not really looking forward to it. I just don't know how it will fit in my day. My boss is very hands off, so it is my prerogative to get going. It is a good tactic, because I'm so driven by insecurity, I do way more on my own then when I am told what to do. Hmmm, maybe I'll wait until after Christmas to start.

For Thanksgiving this year I was appointed to delegate food assignments. All my siblings will converge on my parent's house with their spouses and children ... more than 30 people. We have a few "purists" among us, those who refuse to eat instant potatoes or Sam's Club appetizers. I'm not so picky. I love good food in any form. I actually printed out a recipe for Ratatouille yesterday to try. It looks pretty good ... tomatoes, zucchini, and eggplant with lots of garlic and herbs.

I've been very into food literature these days, and really enjoyed the books by former New York Times food critic Ruth Reichle ("Garlic and Sapphires," "Comfort Me With Apples," and "Tender at the Bone"), and two books by Vogue food critic Jeffrey Steingarten, "The Man Who Ate Everything" and "It Must Have Been Something I Ate." The first for her poetic writing that draws you into her characters and flavors, and the second for his humor and fascinating food facts. He is something of a "Good Eats" on paper (for those of you who watch the food network). I'm looking for a new food book, if anyone has recommendations.

I've found that many mothers talk WAY too much about schedules. I can't think of anything much more dull than another person's child's sleep habits. But guess what -- Benji woke me up only twice last night, rather than his typical three times. Yay! I feel positively invigorated today. I may even (dare I try it?) skip my nap!