Welcome to Ridgecrest: Flossing and flowers

Just a few thoughts before bedtime. I can't stay up too late because the twins are getting up earlier and earlier these days, along with the sun. They really hit the ground running, too. Down the hall they zoom in their footed sleepers, off to the refrigerator (whose childproof lock they figured out long ago). By the time Rocket Boy and I manage to get up and follow them, they are in the midst of eating several containers of Activia yogurt, with the sticky foil tops strewn around the table. For a while peach was the favorite flavor, but recently I bought some vanilla yogurt and now they like that best. They call it "flower yogurt," because the containers have a picture of a vanilla flower on them.

Rocket Boy and I struggle to eat our own breakfasts, as boo bears get rowdier and rowdier. Finally, multiple announcements of "I got a poopy" convince us to follow them back to their room, change their diapers, and wrestle them into some clothes. I am no longer allowed to choose their outfits, although I attempt to exert some influence, as in "You can't wear shorts, it's too cold," "You can't wear your snowman shirt, it's going to be 94 today," and "You can't wear your Thomas train shirt, it's dirty."

After we get dressed, it's time to brush teeth. I dislike this part of the morning routine so much that I sometimes try to sneak into my bathroom to brush my own teeth without them seeing. But this is almost always unsuccessful, since they follow me everywhere, and if they aren't right next to me, they're LISTENING to what I'm doing. So they find me. And they LOVE to brush their teeth. I know that should make me happy, but somehow it doesn't.

Tooth brushing is terribly complicated. They each have a stool to stand on. They each have a toothbrush. I put Thomas Train toddler toothpaste (don't ask) on their toothbrushes. The Thomas Train toothpaste is kept high up, on top of the medicine cabinet, because it is very desirable. They "help" me put it on their toothbrushes, which means they scream "I do it!" while I say "No, Mommy do it." Then they brush while I frantically put MY toothpaste on MY toothbrush and brush my teeth as fast as I can. Then I brush each of their sets of teeth (with water, since they've already eaten their toothpaste). I sing the ABC song while I brush them. This gives me enough time to do all their teeth, while they listen to the song. Then we rinse off the toothbrushes and rinse our mouths and dry our hands on the towel.

Then it's time for flossing. I used to be a pretty good flosser, but I've gotten lazy over the years. If it weren't for the fact that I don't have a dentist in Ridgecrest, and I'm really worried about what's happening to my teeth, I might floss once a week, if that. But the babies LOVE flossing. They LIVE for flossing. "Do flossing, Mommy?" they ask, when we are done with the toothbrushes. "Oh no," I say, "no time for flossing today." But then they cry and beg. "Do flossing, Mommy!" So we do flossing. Meanwhile time is passing, the sun is getting higher in the sky...

I break off a length of floss for each of them (the floss is also kept on top of the medicine cabinet because it also is very desirable). Then we go over to my bed and they fight for who gets to lie with his head propped up on my pillows first. I open the curtains, turn on the bedside light, and put my glasses up on top of my head so I can see into their little mouths, and then I floss between all their little teeth. Baby A actually has 3 places in his mouth where his teeth touch, so the flossing is useful to him. Baby B's teeth are all miles apart so the flossing is quite pointless. But I do it, tooth after tooth.

Then it's time to floss MY teeth. They each insist that I floss my teeth using their dental floss, while they watch. It isn't as gross as you'd think, because they don't have anything between their teeth, so the floss doesn't get dirty (until I use it, of course).

Then THEY floss MY teeth. They don't know how to hold it taut, so it's quite difficult for them to get the floss between my teeth. But they work hard at it.

Then they take their floss and wander around the house, flossing their teeth until at some point they drop their floss on the floor and I pick it up and throw it away.

Brushing teeth and flossing takes FOREVER. This is one of the reasons we never get anything done. But it does make the morning go by.

And now, here are some more flowers. These are from our trip to Death Valley -- was it two weekends ago? They were all seen on Artist's Drive.

This is caltha-leaf phacelia: