Deuces

On a first look, one may say, “What in the world is this little girl doing posing down low and making peace signs. Well, let’s just say my four year old daughter Izabela, has quite a way of expressing her thoughts not just through words but also by her actions which can be quite hilarious considering her age.

Soon as we exit the dentist office, she drops down for a quick picture and hollars, “deuces.” I turn around and gaze at her while shaking my head.

She had just gotten her first filling and apparently was not too fond of the procedure. She didn’t say much from the dentist chair but her twisted face told a different story outside. My girl threw up the deuces to symbolize her disdain.

Going to the dentist has never been a problem for her. However, I guess today she just wasn’t “filling” it. The thought of someone grinding in your teeth and making you open your mouth longer than you want to is not exactly a great feeling.

She talked about how cold the water was against her teeth. She expressed how much she didn’t like the funny gritty taste in her mouth. Then had the nerve to ask me if she could just leave the cavity in her mouth.

She said, “Mama, but it don’t hurt. Why do I have to get it out?”

Now you must know, I am a fanatic about brushing my teeth and I try to teach her to floss and brush regularly. She has no problem doing this usually. She has an electric toothbrush and loves to brush her teeth more than normal. Many times, she reminds me to brush my teeth as I give her the side eye as if to say I’m your mama, not the other way around.

This whole cavity saga was not on my side. I literally pulled up another YouTube video as I always do to explain my point. This time I showed her what a cavity looks like and the importance of having it removed. She twisted her little face up again in disgust.

While in the dentist chair, all she wanted to do was play on her iPad but I explained to her that you have to be still and listen to what the dentist says. My child is addicted to her Ipad. Taking it away is like pulling teeth. Reluctantly, she put the iPad down on her lap and said, “OK mommy, but can you tell her to hurry?”

I chuckled to myself and told the dentist let’s hurry up and make this as painless as possible. That was the dentist’s cue to get started before her four-year-old attitude kicked back in. Thank God for “laughing gas” or nitrous oxide. Before we knew it, the procedure was over and my Izabela was back on her iPad!

She walked out of the dentist office feeling like a BOSS. Clearly, she felt better as she insisted that I take a picture of her down low in her “deuce position.” I smiled as I grabbed my phone to snag a picture of this beautiful little girl posing and becoming her own.

Instantly, mama tears began to drown my cheeks. I was witnessing me all over again, but 40 years ago. As parents we often wonder where they got this or that from. Everyday as I watch her words and actions, I fall in love with my Izabela, prouder each day of the little girl she is maturing into. The way she acts, the things she says, the attitude she carries is purely a reflection of me. D E U C E S!