Friday, April 11, 2014

Smiling Through My Teeth

We were recently watching an episode of Word World on PBS and they were talking about what a sweet tooth was.  I immediately told SH1, "You have a sweet tooth!"  He readily agreed and proceeded to identify the other teeth our family members have.  
"SH2 has a salt tooth, Daddy has a pepper tooth, SH3 has a milk tooth, and Mommy has a..."  
Oh God, I thought, please don't say wine, don't say I have a wine tooth.  
"Mommy has a caffeine tooth!"
I laughed for a minute straight out of relief and his adorable honesty. 
"I said that because you love a mamilla latte." 
Even at 3 years old SH1 appreciates a well decorated cookie
Photo credit: Terah Lake Photography



He knows the word vanilla but I can't help but think about why he distorted the word until I realized how it sounds when repeated back from the coffee shop drive through speaker.  I am fairly certain this is what prompted his change in articulation.  "Okay so we have one large skinny mamilla latte (crackle crackle) and a kid's berry smoo (crackle crackle)."  I do love a vanilla latte, coffee, and diet coke...heck pretty much anything caffeinated.  He is right; I have a caffeine tooth.  Kids have this crazy way of putting something into the most basic nonjudgmental as-I-see-it terms which are frightfully accurate. SH1 is not accusing me of drinking too much caffeine; he was holding up the mirror for me to look into.  I thought of all the teeth I wish he had said I had like a leafy green vegetable tooth or a water tooth or a jogging tooth.

I can't sugar coat my life for my kids.  They see me at my worst.  They don't see the happy smiling Facebook posting or charming blog writing version of me that is 72% more pulled together than I really am.  They see me as the caffeine swilling, wine loving, laundry neglecting, fallible mom who loves them with all her heart.  At least I hope they do.  Regardless I have to keep smiling through my caffeine stained teeth.



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