Okay.
So, for the past 6 weeks Tomika has been wearing what is called a 'Rapid Maxillary Expander' (RME) in her mouth. This, thing, is basically a modern day take on the medieval torture device, designed to wrench the jaw bones in the roof of your mouth apart so that your top teeth space out, and your top bite matches up with your bottom. It's what they use these days instead of ripping teeth out, and it's actually supposed to be better for the kids... Less painful and traumatic. Stupidly, as much as they SAY it's better, and call it a RAPID ME, it is, in fact. Excruciatingly. Painfully. Slow.
Every night before bed, she had to turn the barrel of the RME, which in turn forced the jaw bones out further. At the same time, it caused her two front teeth to separate, and a gap large enough to fit her pinky finger to appear in the middle.
Personally, I couldn't think of anything worse, but my girl is strong and confident. She handled the change to her appearance well.
Today she got her braces fitted.
Now it totally goes against my every motherly instinct to see my daughter in pain, and not do anything about it. Especially, if that pain is being inflicted on her by another person. But there wasn't a damn thing I could do about it. I had to sit and watch while the Orthodontist stretched her lips as far as they could go, stuck her hands up to her elbows in Tomika's mouth, and all but weld these metal thingys to her teeth. She then proceeded to string them together with barb wire. (In my defence, I may have been a teensy bit biased.)
I wanted to punch her.
ANYWAY, after all that, the end result is this.
All prejudices aside, I like them. For some reason, I think she looks like a proper teenager now. Now I know that's a kinda stupid thing to say, and it's oh so stereotypical. But she now seems her age. Instead of a nearly-13-year-old-going-on-30-year-old. Until she speaks that is...
I'm hoping it will keep the boys away for a few more years. At least until I can get that shotgun I've been eyeing off, and the custom-made chastity belt.
Now there's a medieval device I can approve of!
