I'm on my way, shortly, to get Emily from school early, so that she can have a dentist appointment.

I *hate* taking her to the dentist. She has weak enamel - it's inherited from my mom, and so she's always been prone to cavities, got her first one at 3. Plus the water at the old house wasn't fluoridated, so even though we bought special vitamins with fluoride, special toothpaste with fluoride, special mouthwash with fluoride, she still regularly gets cavities, especially in her molars. I'm soooo excited for her to get her permanent teeth in so they can put that sealant on them to try to strengthen them more.

But until then, we get trips to the dentist, in which the dentist looks at me as if to say, "Do you withhold toothpaste as a form of punishment in your house?" I'm defensive before we even show up, almost to the point where they say, "Nice to meet you, have a seat," and I say, "I have DONE my BEST, OKAY?!?!?!?"

On top of that, I have wicked dental phobia on my own. Need a Xanax before I can get into the chair. I can take Emily to appointments without having a total meltdown, but I still end up nauseous and shaky and edgy for the rest of the day. And I can't justify drinking at 9:30 a.m., so I'll just have to suck up and deal. Woe is me.

The weirdest part? Emily LOVES the dentist. Loves it. Everything about it. When I told her this morning that today was the day for her appointment, she was jumping up and down and cheering. Weirdo.