My daughters pretty much hate me right now, and I can't say I blame them

Back in May when we I took my kids to the dentist for their biannual check-up, we discussed the overcrowding situation in their tiny mouths. I had the same thing as a kid. By third grade I had only lost 4 teeth. My dentist pulled 6 of my baby teeth at once, then six months later, he pulled four of my permanent teeth. Two years later, I was in braces.

All three of my kids have the same issues. Small mouths, not enough room for grown up teeth. Our pediatric dentist said he'd like to take a look at their teeth in the summer and reassess. At least that is what I thought I heard, and so I made an appointment for July 15th. I told my girls this morning that after lunch they would have a quick appointment at the dentist and he would let us know if they would have to have any teeth pulled.

When we walked in, the receptionist asked what movie they'd like to watch. I asked if we would be here long enough to watch a movie. She said, "Oh yes." Uh oh.

They each ended up having one tooth pulled. No laughing gas, novocaine only. It was not pretty. Poor Sejal, who had to go second after watching her sister squirm and cry. The fear in her eyes just about killed me. In hindsight, ignorance was bliss. I think the anticipation would have driven us all crazy had we known what we were in for.

But we survived thanks to our ever-patient dentist and the promise of milkshakes.