Shining Smile

Channing's smile does so much to brighten even the darkest of days.  It goes without saying that he's a bright spot in our lives.  Radiant!! Perhaps, it's his delivery.  His timing is impeccable.  Take for example, bedtime tonight. He'd gotten out of bed no less than half a dozen times.  My tone, each time I asked him to get back under the covers, was getting snippier despite my best efforts to keep it even and calm.  Through gritted teeth, I explained why going to bed on time is important.  

'When you stay up too late, you're grumpy.  When you're grumpy, I'm grumpy.  When we're both grumpy, we don't have any fun.'  To which he replied with a HUGE grin, 'That's not true.  We always have fun.'  He then added, 'Mommy, I love you.' just for good measure.  I felt my frustration instantly begin to melt away.

Given the importance of his smile in our lives, it was time for a trip to the dentist.  His first trip to the dentist.  You'd think he'd been there a zillion times before.  He climbed into the chair without hesitation, Sophie the Doll tucked under his arm.  He donned the sun glasses offered to him and tried them on Sophie too.  After being introduced to all the instruments, he relaxed in the 'fancy cool recliner' while the hygienist cleaned his teeth, he held still as a statue for a full set of x-rays, and exchanged pleasantries as best a three-year-old can with the doctor when she came in to issue his teeth a clean bill of health.  

I tried to get him to smile pretty for the camera and show off his freshly polished teeth when all was said and done.  He was just too excited about his yellow, glitter tooth brush and floss of his very own.  He insisted they be the primary focus of the photo.  I can assure you, he was beaming and his teeth were gleaming behind his new treasures.