Just another manic - I mean - AMAZING Monday!

Normally I'm not a fan of Mondays. Who is, right? But today - oh, friends - today was g.r.a.n.d. Seriously (and it's only 1:38 in the afternoon right now). Natalie and Carter had dentist appointments this morning to fill cavities (I know - sounds great, right?) and we were all a little bit worried as to how this would pan out but God is SO good!

Jeff, because he's so sweet, understanding, and dashingly handsome (okay, his handsome-ness didn't really have anything to do with it, but he still melts my heart. Often.) took the morning off of work to stay home with Jack so I could devote all of my attention at the dentist to Talie and Carter who were both freakishly nervous about the infamous "fillings." All the way to the dentist I was speaking courage into my children (as in: I didn't stop talking about how great they were going to do and how simple the procedure really was so that they didn't have a chance to talk and break down). To say they were concerned would be a major description fail for the mess that their lack of confidence was concerning the dentist's office, but somehow we all managed to slide by both tears and too many fears.

Then came the good part. Well, the first one. Carter's name gets called and he looked at me, gave me a thumbs up and confidently (not kidding. He strutted in there!) walked with the dental assistant to the back of the office and I didn't see him again until he came back out with his lips all botoxed up looking like an old man. He was smiling though (the best a small child can smile when they literally have no feeling in their face). It was so awesome - and adorable - and just... amazing! He did GREAT!

Next it was Natalie's turn. She was a mess. A total worry-wart, stress-case, couldn't-even-sit-in-the-chair-she-was-so-scared kind of kid. I thought Carter "setting a good example" might help, but "help" apparently was laughing at me in my face... Laughing hard. They finally decided to give Natalie some "happy air" (aka Laughing Gas) and lemme tell ya - that stuff works! Ten seconds breathing that stuff and Natalie was literally laughing so hard I was physically mad I didn't have my camera. Total rookie mistake. This is a little example of how it went (which was all Natalie talking as the poor dentist was attempting to work in her mouth):

"I'm SO not going to be a princess for Halloween. I mean, I know a lot of girls who still do it, but I'm not. No way! Nope. Not for me. I like being stuff that older girls would want to be, you know, because I'm older now (she's 7). Being a princess would be too babyish. Carter already suggested it, but I said no. Because I'm older. I'm not a little kid anymore. I'm way older than little kids are. So that's why I'm not going to be a princess for Halloween. Wanna know what I AM going to be!? A Qqqquuuueeeeeeeennnn!!!! Isn't that such a great idea!? Because I'm not a little kid! I'm going to be a queen! I know, it's great." ... and on and on and on. It was hysterical, and I felt like tipping the dentist because I was so impressed that he could actually work while she was non-stop-talking (and then I remember what they quoted me for the bill and all tip ideas were out the window).

All that made my morning. But it gets better.

I got home to grab Jack so Jeff could get to work and so that I could run the kids to their school (which is about a half hour away from where we live) and I walk in the house and it's spotless. Honestly - spotless. I was speechless (which doesn't happen that often). The whole time I was gone with the older kids, Jeff and Jack cleaned the house. Dishes, done. Laundry washed, dried and put away (all of it - and there was a lot of it!). Our master bedroom closet, organized, clothes folded and hung up. Kids' bedrooms all picked up. It was amazing. I am not kidding you guys. I am one BLESSED woman!

Oh! Oh! And a bonus (which I had been praying about for weeks!) - the bill for the dentist was cut in half (CUT IN HALF!) because the number they had quoted us was for an adult instead of a kid (and since the work was on baby teeth their number was completely off and they didn't catch it at first) so completely unexpectedly it was like a bonus 50% off your dental bill day!

YAY for Mondays! Yay for husbands doing thoughtful things to make their wives' day! And a huge, serious YAY for answered prayer!