Retaining the Retainer

re-tain-er [re-tey-ner] noun
1. a person or thing that retains.
2 .a servant or attendant who has served a family for many years.
3. Also called cage, separator. Machinery. a ring separating, and moving with, balls or rollers in a bearing.
4. Orthodontics.
a. a fixed or removable device worn in the mouth to hold the teeth in their new position during the adaptive period after straightening appliances have been removed.
b. Prosthodontics. a part on a bridge or the like by which the bridge is attached to the natural teeth.

Twelve years ago this month I received what every 17 year old who is about to graduate from high school and go on to college wants: braces. Despite my perfectly straight teeth, at a routine cleaning it was decided that those baby teeth I continued to hold onto had to go. And, in order to make room for the adult teeth they were going to have to pull down, I need to have braces attached to my teeth. Excuse me? Braces? At seventeen? No thank you! Its not like I hadn't had these baby teeth for years and years. Where was this decision when I was 13 and everyone had braces?

So for the last few months of my senior year of high school and then through the first two years of college I wore braces. So hear I am in college, 17 years old, looking 15 at best, and I have braces. Is anyone shocked that the boys didn't come in flocks? Do you know how difficult it is to say "Plautz" with braces on? I wore braces for two year. In March of 2000, 10 years ago this month, the braces came off and I received a retainer. The doctor told me to wear it everyday, all day (except meal times) for something like six months. Did he seriously think that was going to happen?

I tried wearing the retainer for about two days and decided that it wasn't working for me. I finally was free of the mandatory metal mouth and I wasn't going back. Well at least during the day. I dutifully wore my retainer every night, and I have continued to wear it most every night for the last 10 years. Now I'm trying to decide if I should keep wearing it. Has ten years been long enough? Should I give it five more years? Should I have a new retainer made? Should I have it plated in 14kt gold and made into a keepsake pendant for only $300? Decisions, decisions.

A Little Show

A cute video courtesy of my sister.

Foiled

I've been really struggling, and pretty much failing, at trying to get to church on time. Three months into my pregnancy with Amelia, Erik was called as the Elders Quorum in our ward. Pretty much from the time Amelia was born, through Charlotte's birth, and to the present I've been getting our child, then children, ready for and to church on my own. There have been easier times and more difficult times. I am currently going through a difficult time. Yesterday I decided to get up a half hour earlier than usual to ensure we would leave on time for church so last night I asked Erik to wake me up at 6:30am. This would give me the opportunity to have a little time to myself to take a shower and eat breakfast. Do you think that happened? Nope. Amelia was up at 5:45 this morning. Erik woke up with her and tried to convince her to go back to bed, but that is pretty much a fruitless task. Despite my extra half hour we were still 15 mintues late to church. Add the fact that I couldn't find one of the earings I wanted to wear, I had the most frustrating time trying to find Amelia's shoes, and I left my cell phone at home, by the time I got to church I was not a happy camper. So it looks like I'm going to have to get up even earlier next Sunday. We'll see if it helps or what obstacles I will have to suffer through. She sure is cute though!

Lost in Translation

A conversation between Amelia and me yesterday during lunch.

Me: Amelia, you're beautiful.

Amlelia: What does that mean Mommy?

Me: It means I like to look at you.

Amelia: Oh. (Pause) Mommy, you're so pretty.

Me: What does that mean Amelia?

Amelia: It means I have to look at you.

Hmm . . .

How Cliché

So here is my requisite end of the year post. I'm dubbing this season the Holidays from Hades. The weekend before Christmas my brother Michael married the lovely Kristin. They were married on Saturday, December 19th, which also happened to be Amelia's third birthday (we ended up celebrating her birthday on the 12th instead). We left to go up to Raleigh for the wedding Friday morning. Saturday was wedding day from beginning to end. We had planned to go to sacrement meeting on Sunday, but Charlotte was not feeling well when she woke up, so we just headed home. From there on Charlotte got worse, Amelia got sick, and then I succumed also. Horrible, miserable sick.

We came back up to my parent's house on Christmas eve, partly because all of our presents were already at my parents house. We were very blessed to be able to spend this holiday season with Erik's and my family, just most of us felt pretty miserable the whole time. On the upside we are finally starting to come out of the woods. Just in time for the new year. I can't believe it is almost 2010. I hope everyone has a happy new year!

Little Black Dresses

Right now I am up late waiting for a ebay listing to end. The listing is for the dress that Amelia will wear for Michael and Kristin's wedding next month. The girls will be wearing matching dresses, but Amelia's size was sold out on gap.com, so I'm having to stay up until this auction ends at 1:17am. What is that about? I have about 40 minutes left.

Speaking of dresses, I finally found a dress for Michael and Kristen's wedding. As a back story, after being a bridesmaid for Christan and Mary's wedding I swore up and down that it was the last time. Well shortly after Michael and Kristin got engaged, Mom, Catherine, Mary, Kristin, and I went out for a celebratory dinner. During dinner I let Kristen know that I appreciated if she considered asking me to be a bridesmaid, but I would politely decline the invitation. Kristin said she would like me in the wedding party and that the plan was for all the bridesmaids to wear black dress, and it could be any black dress. Well I reluctantly agreed thinking, "How hard will it be to find a black dress?" Well, its proven to be rather difficult. I didn't want to spend a ton of money, and the dress had to be able to have a teal sash worn with it.

So like I said, I finally found a dress. I even got a great deal on the dress. I had high hopes. I purchased the dress on a Saturday night, and because I was going to be visiting my family in Raleigh (well, Fuquay) the following week I decided to have the dress shipped to their house. Well the week came and went and the dress was not delivered. Long story short, my sister came to visit me and brought the dress with her. I love the the dress, it seems really well made. I put it on and zipped it up and . . . no dice. The dress fit my perfectly everywhere, everywhere except, well if you know me you know where it didn't fit. I went online to look into exchanging the dress, thinking I could get a larger size and have it tailored down to fit. Well the next two dress sizes up are both on back order until December 25th. What?! I am so frustrated. So its back to square one with the wedding in three weeks. After some major stressing, visit a few local stores ('cause that is all there is around here), and spending a few hours online, I think I've found another dress that will work. I am praying it fits well, it is delivered quickly, and that I have enough time to get it tailored if needs be. I swear this is the last time. Never again.

12 minutes to go.

I'm Officially Me

I finally learned that I could create my own profile to sign into this blog. I'm offically me and I'm very excited. Many thanks to my Mom for asking blogger related questions to my sister (-in-law) Mary; and and many thanks to Mary for her answers that lead me to this discovery. It just feels good!