The parents who cried Teeth

As we seem to make this claim to everyone we know, every time Ive has a runny nose of fusses for longer than 32 seconds, we won't blame you for not believing it this time:

It's got to be teeth.

She's been a hot mess the past few days: runny nose, slight fever, generally rangy. It's been rough to see our perenially sunny girl so serious and quick to tears. And so we've been saying to one another,yet again, "It's got to be teeth," and feeling around in her little mouth several times a day.

Today, they arrived.

No, really.

Two great big honkin' top front teeth, poking themselves through her soft little mouth. At the same time. These things are huge. No wonder we've had a sad little girl on our hands.

Now that they are through the gums, we're hopeful the worst is over. Indeed today we saw a few of the crinkle nosed smiles we've been missing.

Four teeth. Considering what girlie has been able to chew up with only two teeth, I imagine she's ready for steak now.

In unrelated news, we are just about to --gulp-- lease a new car. About a week and half ago, the poor Honda was smushed between two other cars in a terribly embarassing round of bumper cars on a highway exit ramp. Thankfully I was neither hurt nor liable in the incident, but my little trouper of a Civic was all bent out of shape and due to her advanced age the insurance company declared it a "total loss". I am heartbroken that the old girl had to go out this way, with a wonderful engine that I am absolutely certain would have made it to at least 200,000 miles. That car and I have been through a lot together: Living in Canada, commuting to Grand Forks, block heaters and blizzards and road trips through the Badlands and Wall Drug and the Enchanted highway, to Vermont and Boston and NYC, and lots and lots and lots of miles on every roadway in the northeast Ohio region. She was a good little car. Sniff.

So, tomorrow I go and pick up an insurance check and hand over the title for a little black Civic, and then sign a lease for a brand spankin' new Hyundai Elantra. Wasn't planning on a car payment just now, and yet... I have to admit I am a little bit excited about driving around a shiny, sexy new car, full of jazzy little extras and a peppy little engine and 4 whole doors...