Makenzie's turn on the boat

Tonight was Makenzie's turn to go out on the lake in the boat. She wasn't nervous like Luke was -- at least not most of the time. When we got out far enough to just float, she started naming all the things she could "spy" -- "I see a house, a tree, a baby pool, a cloud that looks like a hat, a duck, some dirt floating in the water, a seagull by the pool I mentioned a minute ago . . ." Hearing an eight-year-old seriously use the word "mentioned" cracked me up. On the way back to the bank, Makenzie got scared for some reason and thought that we were sinking. She listened to logic, though, that if we were sinking there'd be water in the boat and we were both completely dry. When we got back up to the bank -- or actually CLOSE to the bank -- we got stuck. There was a little boy standing there watching us -- EMBARRASSING! But he was a little sweetheart. He asked us if we needed help. I said, "Yes, I think we do." His mom called him to go, and he went to her and asked if he could help us. Thank goodness, she must've agreed. He had rubber boots on, so he could step out into the water and pull us close enough to dry ground that I only had to put one foot in the nasty water for just a split second. I was so afraid of getting leaches!!! So tonight we were "rescued" by a seven-year-old boy and we prayed that God would give him a special blessing for helping us -- and for teaching us an important boating lesson: TAKE BOOTS because Mom's not so good at boating!

Earlier today, Joel and Makenzie went to see the orthodontist. They were both SO very well-behaved and charming!! The doctor's assistant wanted to take Makenzie home with her -- I think she might've been a little bit serious. Joel said, "sure -- take her." I had to remind him that it wasn't his decision to make! The funniest part of the whole experience came from Makenzie. The doctor found a click in Joel's jaw and said that Joel needed to not chew gum anymore because that would cause the jaw to work too hard and click more, causing more damage. When the doctor was finished looking at Makenzie's mouth, Joel asked another question about the gum issue. Makenzie turned around in the chair and looked up at the doctor and said in her little Minney Mouse cutie pie voice, "Can I still chew gum?" The doctor had to really fight to keep control and not laugh out loud at her cute seriousness (and said that she could still have gum sometimes).

Joel has to keep coming to the orthodontist until his jaw stops growing and get serious work done then to correct the underbite and crossbite. Makenzie has to go see a periodontist (I think that's the correct term) to see about correcting the receding gum caused by that flappy thing that connects the lip to the gum (hers doesn't connect at the right place in the middle of the gum, but rather all the way up in between the front teeth -- pulling the gum down -- I'm a little bit scared for her!).

Alaska is having a BEAUTIFUL spring!!! I hope it continues all summer because I'm not able to really enjoy it this last two weeks of school. Life is REALLY hectic with all the programs, errands, and field trips that go along with the end of school. I'm SO ready for park mornings and pool afternoons!