Last night I came home from doing laps at the local rec center to find Jeremy and Madeleine sitting on the bathroom floor talking. It was after nine o'clock. On a school night. I demanded why such a basic rule as 7:30 bedtime was being transgressed, and by way of answering Madeleine moved the wash cloth that she was holding in front of her mouth. Her only remaining front tooth, her Nanny McFee tooth as I've been fondly calling it, was dangling precariously.
"So pull the tooth out," I said impatiently, not understanding the crisis. Madeleine pulled away from me like a wounded animal, and Jeremy gathered her up in his arms, giving me a long look.
"I've got this," he said tersely. I worked out the translation of that phrase to be something along the lines of, "Obviously you aren't sensitive enough to understand how traumatic this is for our tender hearted little daughter, so go away."
I was quite happy to go take a shower, as planned, but for the life of me I couldn't understand why he didn't just hold her flailing arms down with one hand and rip the stupid tooth out. My incredulity increased as time lapsed, and by nine-forty I was set to march in there and finish the job my self. "Such a delicate way you have with small creatures," Jeremy often says to me.
To his credit, I will concede the point that as ludicrous and indulgent as Jeremy's behavior seemed, there was something endearing at the sight of Madeleine curled in his lap, deliriously tired and sobbing into his chest her fears of how much it would hurt to have the tooth pulled.
Daddy's girls! What are you gonna do?
I would have been the exact same way! Good thing we have dads around to balance it all out. She looks adorable with her two missing top teeth, and there must be some relief to lose the Nanny Mcphee tooth, I know when Lily's came out I was thrilled.
ReplyDeleteSuch a cute picture. Aaron & I have a similar dynamic; I have the uncanny ability to tolerate the screams unhindered while I dig out a splinter on a finger with a needle. Somebody's gotta do it!
ReplyDeleteI also have little patience for missed bedtimes :)
I'm dying. She doesn't look like a little girl anymore. That is sad. And we are kindred spirits, I have no patience for broken rules. We are having our own tooth crisis over this way. Abbey's 1st loose tooth is hanging on and I'm ready to yank, she's freaking. Oy.
ReplyDeleteLove you. Tell Mads we love her new look!
xo
HAHAHA! Hold that sweet picture in your mind forever. :)
ReplyDeleteEvery kid has a Nanny McPhee stage. It's hilarious. Harrison is like I was. Once a tooth is loose, he wants it OUT. He has learned to pull them himself. Although, most recently he waited until during school to pull his tooth so he could enjoy all the hoopla.
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