Izzy Tornado

Short stories with a comical twist on the daily obstacles, aka adventures, of parenthood

Tag: teeth

The Mouthwash Ritual

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On March 15, 2021

In 08 Months Old, Izzy's Stories, Under 1 Year Old

The mouthwash ritual is a sacred ceremony that Mommy and I perform every night since I turned 8-months-old when I procured my fourth tooth.

After flossing (my second favorite activity), I would sit on the bathroom counter with my feet in the sink, holding my big dinosaur cup over the faucet while Mommy turns on the water. It’s always a bonus whenever I can quickly move the cup away just so the water splashes on my feet. Delightful. Of course, Mommy immediately turns off the water and teases about my wet pants.

It’s a little game we play.

Mommy then opens a green bottle, letting the refreshing smell of mint swirl into my nostril. Ah, The Precious Mouthwash. Together, we would pour a very teeny, tiny amount of Mouthwash into her small cup.

Then we look into each other’s eyes for a few seconds, as if speaking in a silent language and say in harmony, “Cheers!” raising our cups for good luck.

“Spit it out, don’t drink it,” Mommy warns me every time.

As usual, I nod. But proceed to drink the water as fast as I could before she tears the cup away from me.

“Plat,” I would fake a spit and give her a big grin.

Mommy, on the other hand, takes a swig from her cup. For a few moments, the Mouthwash stays in her mouth, not going down nor coming out.

My hands vibrate as I place them on her cheeks, feeling every swish.

As if stuck in a wormhole, it bounces around, forming larger and larger bubbles until it overflows. “Haha!” I laughed as I popped the bubbles in her mouth. My favorite part!

Finally, Mommy decides to spit out the green, foamy liquid. I watch it sizzle down the drain—what a waste.

Mouthwash, like toothpaste, is meant to be swallowed.

Flossing is More Fun

By

On March 15, 2021

In 10 Months Old, Izzy's Stories, Under 1 Year Old

Ever since 10-months-old, the Parents misused my uncontrollable laughter when being tickled to brush my teeth. With my mouth wide open, Mommy would sneak in and scrub my mere six teeth so hard that she might as well sand wood.

Why do they make such a big deal about brushing teeth anyway? I’m a baby! Can’t we afford to buy a new set of teeth?

So let them rot. Let me floss instead!

Finally, we made a deal – I will brush my teeth if I can floss afterwards.

I can still remember my first successful flossing attempt.

As usual, I ran to the brushing station and pointed at the three glistening toothbrushes on the counter, shouting, “Mama, Dada, Me!” As if they have woken from a spell, they floated towards my command with Mommy’s help.

After gnawing at my toothbrush, I carefully picked up a floss pick and watched Mommy closely as she puts one in her mouth, all the while looking at the mirror.

I took a deep breath and attempted to do the same.

Nope, the floss is lying flat; it needed to be upright.

Nope, I missed my mouth entirely.

Argh! Why did she make it look so easy?

Unlike the previous nights, I refused to give up.

Nope, too far to the right. What is wrong with my clumsy fingers? How is it that when I moved my hand one way but the hand in the mirror moves the other, aren’t they supposed to like… mirror?

Pluck.

The sound vibrated in my mouth. Ahha! The floss pick string is in between my teeth. It may have taken a total of 248 attempts during my short lifetime, but I finally got it!

“Good job, Izzy. Look, Daddy. She’s flossing!”

I proudly smiled at the latest accessory in my mouth, the green pick dangling over my lips as if, it too, is having a victory dance.

The Teeth Acquiring Ceremony

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On January 2, 2021

In 08 Months Old, Izzy's Stories, Under 1 Year Old

At 8-months-old, I can finally mark my territory with my army of four teeth. Lesson learned: bite everything except for self. I bit my fingers, forgetting I just got the big front tooth, and those chompers hurt! Imagine what I can do when I have ALL my teeth?! Or the better question is, what can I NOT do? 

I need to find more teeth. Pronto.

It is not like they are buried in the ground, and I just have to dig for them. The only way to get them is through the teeth acquiring ceremony. It is usually a pretty rough process. Every few weeks, they will appear out of nowhere after sacrificing my well-being, including loss of appetite and lack of sleep. A warm headache frequently occurs as well – the parents called it a “fever.” They’ll stick a machine in my ears every few hours, exclaiming a number. I’m assuming the higher the number, the more likely the tooth is arriving. 

No pain, no gain – after 2-3 days of sacrifice, my gums will itch, and I’ll become a drooling zombie.

Usually, popping a chew toy in my mouth to gnaw at the sore spot will speed up the progress. Sometimes, I cry out in frustration; patience is not a virtue that comes pre-packaged for a baby. After what feels like an eternity, I can feel the head of the teeth peeping out of the gums’ its edges scraping on my delicate tongue. Finally, I’ll get my reward! 

I can’t wait to expand my territory with my unlimited saliva supply and strong, sharp teeth.

So far, I have acquired a doll, broccoli stalks, and Mommy’s arms.

My Teeth Brushing Partner – Mr. Dino T-Rex

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On December 19, 2020

In 02 Years Old, Izzy's Stories

I always wondered, we take baths and wash every part of our body, but… why stop at only brushing our teeth? I mean, what about the tongue, back of the throat, and in the ears? Those are pretty essential body parts, and

it is my duty as a two-year-old to teach my parents how to clean correctly.

Mr. Dino T-Rex agreed to help me and proved to be a great brushing partner. Every night, he waits for me at the brushing station with his toothbrush leaning on his short little arms. I made sure Mommy watched as I pushed a button, and he opened his mouth wide open. I brushed the back of his throat, the tongue, the top row of teeth, then the bottom, and finally his chin.

Sometimes he likes to have his toes cleaned too.

All clean! I gave Mommy a wide grin. Now, mommy’s turn as I start grabbing for her toothbrush.

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