Brush Your Teeth

Last night this happened…

Stella is brushing her teeth in the bathroom while Brigette is in her room writing in her Gratitude Journal. Stella couldn’t have been alone in the bathroom for more than 60 seconds. I have already put toothpaste on their brushes for them. When Stella is finished brushing she goes to her room and then Brigette goes to brush her teeth. As soon as she starts her electric toothbrush she makes a face and mumbles something about the toothpaste tasting like soap? Of course, being the no-nonsense kind of mom that I am, I totally wave it off and tell her to keep brushing. “Don’t be silly, I put the toothpaste on your brush myself. It’s fine, just keep brushing.” After she’s done brushing she spits and spits and spits and spits. “THAT was NOT toothpaste Mom!!!”
While Brigette is in the bathroom drinking and spitting water to rinse the taste out, I go to the girls’ room to talk to Stella.

me: “Stella, did you put soap on Brigette’s toothbrush?” (trying not to crack a smile or giggle)
stella: “No.” (with an expression on her face that she is offended that I would even ask the question)
me: “Are you sure?” (head tilt)
stella: (nods head while still looking at me with that offended furrowed brow)
me: “ok then” (loving smile and a kiss good-night)

She then rolls over in bed and pulls the blankets up to her chin. I leaned over her just enough to see that she is grinning from ear to ear. You know the grin. The one that you do when you rob a bank and no one gets hurt and you didn’t get caught and you’re safely in Costa Rica? No? Just me then? Ok, and we move on.

(pause to suppress something between laughter and rage)

I got her out of bed and into the bathroom. Made her apologize to her sister for putting soap on her brush. I also apologized to Brigette for making her brush her teeth with soap on her brush. (bad mommy)

And like every mom, there comes a point where soap becomes more than a tool to kill germs and turns into a teaching aide. Many of us learned this same lesson as kids for various reasons. (but how come you can say “fuck” but I can’t?) It’s no wonder kids don’t want to wash their hands…they know, they just know.
I put a pea sized amount of hand soap on Stella’s brush and gave it to her to brush her teeth. She lasted about 15 seconds and then spit it out.
She was sorry.
I forgave her.
There was no yelling.
She went to bed.
I cracked open this book and started reading.

When Brent came home I told him the story and we both laughed to tears. Keep an eye on Stella. She’s gonna be a firecracker when she’s older. Oh, how I love her so!