Merit Badges

Today, I got a new Mommy Merit Badge. I've earned others for the following:

*Labor and Delivery
*Labor and Delivery with bonus follow-up surgery!
*Baby's first bloody diaper
*Baby's first drive to the Midwest
*Baby's first cross-country flight
*Baby's first cry-it-out
*Beginning Tantrum
*Intermediate Tantrum
*Advanced Tantrum (aka Manipulation)
*NICU
*Baby's first glasses

And today's badge: Baby's first ear tubes

Joel was a champ. I went back with him to the OR, and he didn't fight the laughing gas, just drifted off quietly to sleep. Ten minutes later, he woke up hungry and a little irritated at the world, but a few ounces of ear fluid lighter. I'm looking forward to seeing how he perceives things, now that he can hear clearly.

Being that he is male, he will always have selective hearing, but there's little to be done about that....Uh, Mom, you've got something on your head...

Later that day, I got to take Owen to the dentist. He needed to sit on my lap, but he let the Kindest Hygienist In The World count and clean his teeth. He got an awesome frog temporary tattoo (which I put on because he asked me to and I am a sucker. It'll truly impress my students this evening...) He also got a Wacky Wall-Walker (remember those?) Owen thinks that the said Wall-Walker is kick-ass, swimming in a pool of rad. Yet, I've already had to remove the choking hazard, I mean awesome reward from Joel's gaping maw. Twice. You see, this toy is so amazing that Owen tends to throw it on the floor and walk away.

I think the Wacky Wall Walker will soon take a walk. To the trash can.

But Owen? He's a champ, too.

Maybe my kids are the ones that deserve the merit badges.