She couldn't tell us this months ago?

For the first part of the year we've been struggling with Daphne's reading.  None of us, her teacher included could quite figure out what the problem is.  She has an incredible vocabulary and instead of reading the actual simpler words she is substituting harder words.  She also can't always read the same word she knows, however she is still doing really well with her independent school work.    The worst was that she is testing below where her teacher thinks she should and far below where we see her reading.  We just couldn't seem to figure it out and were,getting frustrating all around.

A couple weeks ago they brought in a special tutor to try and figure out what is going on and how to best teach her reading.  One of he steps in this "investigation" is to rule out hearing and eye sight.  So today I picked her up from school and took her to the nurse at a local elementary for her eye test.

Now please remember, we have asked her about her eyesight.  We've asked can you see this better here, or here, can you this, do you ever have trouble seeing etc...and she kept answering in ways that made us not worry.

So back to the test.  As the nurse is adjusting the light and getting ready Daphne starts telling the nurse that she has great eye sight, "especially when I close this eye"  shutting her right eye.  I just groaned, and thought of course, she had to tell us this now, instead of a month ago.  As soon as she said it I knew what the results were going to be, and sure enough she tested as barely near sighted in the left and near sighted in the right.  This makes so much sense, because in their testing the material is on the table and she has to point to each word, but when she reads with us, she holds the books up closer.

So now tomorrow we have an appointment with the eye doctor and I'm hopeful that this could be the key.   I'll let you know!

I'm too embarrassed to post the picture!

Daph's minor surgery today was to deal with a couple of dental issues.

Let me just say this now, I promise we have her brush twice a day.  She doesn't eat a ton of sweets.  Yes she was bottle fed, but she NEVER went to bed with a bottle.  

About 2 months ago we noticed that one of her molars was falling apart.  I mean literally crumbling.  I can't tell you how horrified I was as a mother, especially when it turned out she had 2 small cavities and another tooth that also needed to come out.  We hadn't taken her to a dentist yet, but I wasn't feeling too bad because most of my friends with children her age were just getting their kids into a dentist also.  The tooth was of course noticed after work on Friday and we worried all weekend because our area doesn't have any emergency dental services, and finally got her in on Monday.

We loved the staff but were never sure about that dentist.  Trust me if you ever have this feeling follow it!  We went ahead and let that dentist fix another small cavity to get her used to the whole thing, but the experience wasn't  good.  The dentist was chewing out his staff and getting Daph stressed, and then getting a little short with her for getting wiggly.  To top it all off, he scratched the outside of her cheek with his drill, and Daphne thought a piece of the filling fell out later that evening.

Needless to say we didn't go back to that dentist.  However since he wasn't in a big hurry to deal with the broken tooth we had the time to get an appointment with a great pediatric dentist.

After the last experience this dentist suggested taking her to a surgical center to get everything done all at once while she slept, so that all the rest of her visits would just be basic cleaning and small fillings if needed.

So today was the day.  She had 2 teeth pulled and the dentist redid the filling the other dentist did, for free, because it was indeed falling apart.  At the after surgery consult the dentist (again) stressed that we weren't bad parents.  That some kids just had bad baby teeth, and that it didn't necessarily show what her adult teeth would be like.  In fact he joked that he had lots of trouble with his baby teeth, and his father was an Endontist.

I was feeling better, until I saw the teeth he pulled!  Both my husband and I just cringed.  They look so awful.  There is no way that I could ever post a picture of them.  No matter how many reassurances I got that it wasn't my fault, I'm way too embarrassed as a parent to show those teeth.  I may turn into a fanatic now about the care of her teeth.

Haven't we all wished we could really do this?

Today Andy and I went out for lunch and I just loved the sign that they had over the register!

Unaccompanied children will be given espresso and a free puppy

Haven't we all wished we could really do this to those parents who just let their children do whatever they feel like in public.  Now don't get me wrong, I 'm not even remotely talking about normal childish antics.  I'm talking about those parents who seem to feel that if there are other people around then someone else must be watching their children so they don't have to.  

Okay, maybe I feel like this because of a friend that I have.  As soon as we agree to go shopping or out together it's like she shuts off her own parenting responsibilities and looks at me as her babysitter so she can get her shopping done.  I understand that she has two children where I only have one, and I'm more that happy to help, but if she really is looking for a babysitter instead of a friend to shop with, then I'd really rather stay home and babysit for her than watch all three kids in the store.   This got so bad that I haven't stayed to watch Daphne' s gymnastics class in about a month.  Her oldest is in the same class and she actually told me that she was glad they were so I could watch her 2 year old and she could watch her oldest in class.  I know, I know your thinking just don't, but that's a lot easier said than done when you see the 2 year old doing dangerous things or leaving and the Mom has no clue.  So my husband and I have started going Christmas shopping or out for coffee while Daphne is in Gymnastics.  Oh well we can't change others so I just have to decide what I'm going to do for myself.  But the sign is still so tempting!!

**I do have to admit to a bad mother moment, I'm really enjoying dropping Daphne of and having an hour out and about just with my husband.  This has been especially helpful since we can't spell this year to discuss Christmas gifts and plans.

I think my child might be spoiled!

When we started telling people that we were only having one child we got all the usual reason about why Daphne really needed siblings, but it seemed like most boiled down to the fact that if we didn't have another child Daphne would be spoiled rotten.  I have to say that we took those concerns seriously and have watched from (we hope) an unbiased viewpoint to make sure that we don't raise a selfish and spoiled child.  I thought we were doing pretty well.  I mean at the last company Easter egg hunt our Daughter was the only child putting things back on the ground when she found something she liked better.  She always thanks us when we buy her stuff and tells us how lucky she is.  Even this fall as she was making her Christmas list she would take things off the list as she found other things that she wanted, it took work to point out that she could leave things on as she found stuff and that she could have stuff that she wanted from us and both sets of Grandparents.

Now remember even my parents mentioned that we could end up with a spoiled child!

So the other day we were finally dividing up Daphne's Christmas list, she was really good with just a couple things on the list for my In-laws, and a couple on ours.  It wasn't till we got to Santa's list that things got a little funny, but it's not what your thinking.  Daphne has two things she really wants, one is a "Just like You" doll from American Girl, and the other is the carriage for Barbie from Barbie and the Diamond Castle.  I thought both of these were going on the list for Santa, but Daphne had other ideas.  She's pretty certain that Santa will bring her the doll that she wants, but she knows that if she put the carriage on the list for My Parents, she'll get it.

What does this say when my 6 year old if more certain of Grandma and Grandpa than Santa in the gift giving department.  So yes I think my child is spoiled, but it's kind of ironic that it's not us doing the spoiling!