And the Oscar goes to......

Let me tell you, Emily better become an actress some day so that she can bring me an Oscar or whatever else award you can receive for a leading dramatic role. This will come as no surprise to anyone who knows our little girl. She is so funny, but certainly wears the title "drama queen" with pride at times and today was a shining moment. Too bad that it happened at school!

So I get this call near the lunch hour from her morning Kindergarten teacher explaining that as the kids were walking down to the lunch room with lunch boxes in hand, a little boy who was in front of Emily turned around and accidentally bumped into her which in turn caused her lunch box to some how bump into her lower lip. This apparently caused one of her bottom teeth to become loose. So needless to say, the tears started rolling and panic set in because that's just what happens for Emily when a tooth becomes loose.

Keep in mind, the child has already lost two teeth and nothing was done to warrant this type of a reaction or behavior from her. Just ask my brother-in-law Eric, who as a police officer & detective, had to use his training and skills in hostage negotiations with her just to get permission to get a small wiggle check when her first tooth became loose. Emily is one who immediately jumps to the worst possible conclusion with situations. So unless you consistently work with her to focus on the good and realistic things, she'll most certainly be focused on what terrible thing COULD happen.

I informed her teacher that this is the way Emily is and she shouldn't be concerned but just to lovingly support her and try to get her mind off of this dreaded loose tooth. She understood and thanked me for my time and I thought that would be the end of it. Wrong!

About 1/2 hour later I get another call from the school and this time it's from one of the secretaries who has Emily in the office all upset and unwilling to eat her lunch. She wanted to know if they should continue to try to get Emily to eat and I told her no, that it would do no good. If there's one thing with Em, it's that when the child's mind is made up, it's like trying to move a mountain to get her to change her mind. She also said that Emily was upset and wanted to go home and she wondered if it would help if I talked with Emily to help calm her down. I had no problem with this but here's where I have a confession to make. And anyone who is in my family that is about to read this, quit laughing now. This next trait of Emily comes straight from me and I cannot deny it at all. I knew that the moment she got on the phone and heard my voice, that the situation would become even more dramatic with eyes full of tears, whining, labored breathing and anything else you can think of in a dramatic "girl" moment. And Emily didn't fail me this time either. She immediately began crying saying that she wanted to leave school this instant and that she didn't want to eat because of this tooth. One of the funniest lines from her went something like this after I explained and reminded her that she's already lost two teeth and knows the drill, "But mommy, this is the first time my tooth was loose at school without you with me!" And then my reply went something like this, "That's right but you also know that your tooth is not going to fall out of your mouth today."

I got her to take some deep breaths to calm down and also to agree that finishing out her day at school would be just fine and I'd come and pick her up. She only agreed after giving one last ditch attempt by asking me to call her at school between that moment and the end of the day. I told her no, that I would be there waiting for her when the bell rang and assured her that her afternoon teacher would take good care of her and that she should have fun and not focus on her tooth anymore.

Of course as a parent you wonder if you are doing the right thing in dealing with your child and I feel confident there. But then there's another thought that makes you wonder if you've done anything to fuel the behavior. All in all, at the moment of dealing with issues like today, it stresses a parent out. But it also doesn't take me long to sit back and just laugh. This child is so adorable. I am certainly blessed and she definitely does her part to keep my life interesting. No dull moments here!

I'll be sure to keep you posted on the status of this tooth but I may have to call in reinforcements to check on this tooth because I have a feeling she's going to keep her mouth guarded like Fort Knox! You think I'm kidding? You should see for yourself.