Tooth Extraction with Acupuncture

I had one of my lower front teeth extracted today as a preliminary step before getting my lower braces. We found a dentist, Dr. Robert Miller with Miller Dental Group, who was willing to let us try acupuncture anaesthesia, and it worked! Michael, Dr. Miller and I were all rather tickled about it. I think we provided the entertainment for this morning at the dentist's office--and gossip for the rest of the week! Anyhow, acupuncture seems definitely the way to go there. I did feel pressure, and there was momentary pain, but it was very brief and not excruciating. I've taken some ibuprofen and I think I'm going to lie down for a nap now, but it was rather an exciting experience, and quite the validation for the effectiveness of acupuncture!

My Handsome Boy

Just thought I'd throw in some home quick shots of Alex. Isn't he good-looking? Fiona is so often in our limelight, seeing as how she's so pretty and photogenic and loves fancy dresses and posing for the camera. I have to make Alex sit reluctantly still to shoot pics like these!

Oh, while on the subject of Alex, I'll mention that he's been wonderful about helping me this past couple of weeks since I've had surgery. He's my strong man! All I have to do is ask, "Alex, are you strong enough to carry this basket upstairs?" and poof! it's done!

Fiona keeps jumping on my leg! Luckily, she's a light little thing! Alex is not as bouncy nor as huggy as her. Fiona's a darling, though, in that she asks me every morning and afternoon, "Mommy, how's your leg today?" In fact, she has even become much better about remembering not to press on that leg in recent days.

I'm such a lucky mom!

The Dark Forces of Halloween!

Darth Alex and Fiona Witch!

Fiona Witch with her familiar--black cat Lillian!



Fiona's Coven (friendly neighborhood witches Savannah and Kasi)!

Darth Alex had those Sith moves!


Behold our dark gathering in honor of Halloween! Our neighbors (Angela, Jay, Kasi, and Savannah) and our friends (Kelly and Lillian) joined our group for trick-or-treating this year. I stayed home and passed out candy, due to my knee surgery, but it was fun to see them all in their costumes, and actually kind of fun to be home for the trick-or-treaters. I actually was dressed up as the Snow Queen (costume compliments of Michael, who surprised me with it the night before), which was quite fun--complete with accessories and white, sparkly face paint. I believe Kelly may have a picture of me, but I don't have any of myself... anyhow, the kids were cute and had fun.

De Rabbits!

LIZZIE!!

and Lorelai!

For the first time ever, we have real pets! Actually, Alex had some Aquasaurs for less than a month, but that was mostly depressing, as he was so excited about them and then they died so quickly. The only perk was that they were interesting, but it was totally not worth it to see my poor boy have to deal with losing his only pets so quickly. I don't recommend them (they have naturally short lifespans).

Anyhow, Lizzie and Lorelai came to live with us a couple of weeks ago. Lizzie is the dominant of the two. I believe they're probably older rabbits, but it's hard to tell. I think I saw some opacity in Lizzie's eye. We aren't 100% sure that it's going to work out, but things seem to be improving. They were rescued by a local pet store owner, who had been looking after them for quite a long time.

When they arrived, they were cranky and so large! The biggest problem, though, is that we had been told that they were litterbox trained, and thus we were hoping to allow them to run around the house much of the time. However, they mostly didn't make it to the litterbox and my kitchen was taken up with their enclosure. That would not do!

Uncertainly, we allowed them to play in the backyard. The dumb bunnies suddenly came alive and seemed so happy! I was convinced that they had been in a dull stupor the entire time that they were indoors. We have an old dog kennel out back, and we actually decided to put them out there for now, and it seems to be working out well. It's a lovely time of year, so the weather is fine for them. We're considering enclosing it and putting in heat and air for the summer and winter, as they can't tolerate weather extremes very well.

I hope it works out. They are so quiet and cute and actually like to be petted, too. Lizzie has taken it into her head, though, to make a game of being put back in the kennel at night, whereas Lorelai has been quite cooperative about it. Michael became so frustrated with Lizzie that he left her outside last night. I went out hours later, and she was quietly sitting outside the kennel, looking in, and she meekly went in when I opened it up for her. Poor thing. I wouldn't much care to spend the night outside, either. Lorelai has been quite busy working on her own little burrow during the day, though, so perhaps they're creating their own alternatives:).

It's fun to feed them veggies--crunch! crunch! crunch! We never could figure out how to deal with a dog or a cat, as we are vegetarians ourselves, and the bunnies have been an idea that has been brewing for years. They eat a store-bought 'rabbit food' as well as the veggies. They're quiet and cuddly and smell fine! They may have litterbox issues, but their little poops don't stink and aren't that messy (tiny round balls). Very low maintenance, so far!

The kids were extremely excited at first, but I think they've curbed that a bit, as we told them that this is going to be a trial, based on the rabbits' litterbox issues. I do know, though, that the kids are definitely more excited about playing in the backyard now!

Oh, honestly, I think I curbed my own excitement as well, given my unhappiness with the house mess. Now that the backyard experiment seems to be working out, though, I'm getting a little more enthusiastic (hence this blog!). The rabbits also seem sweeter and happier. Yay!

Presidential Processing

I am always amazed at the American public. They surprise me over and over again with their choices, and I can never guess what they're going to do! I would never have guessed that our people would elect a racially mixed man with an Arabic-sounding name (including 'Hussein') during this wartime!

It was inspiring, though. How incredibly heartwarming to hear the respectful and humble speeches by both McCain and Obama last night. I have always been disturbed by the rhetoric, blatant attacks, and boastful speeches that I've witnessed in politics, and thus the incredibly gracious concession speech and equally gracious 'victory' speech were very moving.

I actually had more trouble than ever choosing a candidate this year. I've always liked McCain, and I was quite excited that he'd chosen Sarah Palin as a running mate. McCain's pro-war and less environmentally friendly stance were the deal-breakers for me, though, and I did cast my vote for Obama. However, I felt much like the 4% of blacks who didn't vote for Obama must have felt--like a traitor to my kind! I would have been delighted to see the first female vice-president, and it was a bittersweet moment when I realized that Obama was winning the election. It does help, though, to know how very uplifting and empowering this is for a huge segment of our population.

One man, with tears in his eyes, related how his father had always said, "this nation will never elect a black president", and he was full of incredulous joy when he declared how happy he was that the nation had proved his father wrong.

As a girl, I heard many black classmates talk about how the history books were about white people, and thus they really weren't that interested. Their reaction was perfectly legitimate, and I know that the further removed history seems from my own reality, the less I'm interested in it myself. It's always bothered me, and I was so glad last night to know that Obama will be in the history books and generate so much more involvement in their lessons for black students--even, perhaps, putting a happier 'ending' on a story that includes an awful start for our nation with regards to slavery. I hope this helps to dissipate some of the feelings of victimization and anger against the established government that is prevalent in many black communities.

Michael and I watched the speeches last night on our television, which doesn't get the greatest reception (as we don't have cable). I had a silly, uplifting moment when being completely inspired by Obama's speech. His image was hazy, and it seemed as though I could see the backdrop through him. Just as I was thinking this, he started talking about a new 'spirit' arising in the nation. I was struck with this impression that he was an angel/spirit sent to correct so many wrongs and unite our nation. His humility and wisdom seem so ideallic and completely unlike what I expect from politicians. I am very hopeful about our progress in the next four years.

And...perhaps we'll see a woman in office next time!:)

Oh, Alex's pet peeve is that children can't vote. I really sympathize with him on this...and I think that it's a lost cause. Children truly have little power, and by the time that they're old enough to make a difference, they've got the vote and lose any motivation for trying. I probably shouldn't have teased him about his grandparents with Alzheimer's being able to vote, while he can't! He was so bummed that he didn't want to go to the poll with me to vote. I took Fiona and Lillian, and they took turns selecting my candidates and then cast the ballot for me, so I think they felt part of the whole process.

As far as children voting...I'm not 100% convinced that they should all be able to, but I do know that I was extremely informed and involved in the presidential election process when I was 14 years old. I sat up watching the results on TV and was very emotional about the whole thing. I've never again been as informed or motivated about it, and I do think it was a shame that I couldn't vote. And as for the question of whether children will think independently of their families--well, what adults do? Some, of course, just as some children will. Alex has more adamant opinions about politics than either Michael or I do, and he was completely fascinated in watching projections on TV and listening to the commentary. I woke him to tell him that Obama had won, and he got the most elated smile, which nearly baffled me! I'm glad he was happy, though.

---

See how Windows® connects the people, information, and fun that are part of your life Click here