Wisdom: Likely Intact. Sense of Humor: Definitely Intact!

Having four kids within five years of each other has presented some entertaining scenarios.

All four kids had chicken pox together in 1992. That was a lovely, bonding opportunity for us all (she says sarcastically) which culminated in a trip to the emergency room with 2-year-old twins who had climbed to the top of a dresser to find -- and share -- a bottle of Benadryl. (That's a separate post... and one that I really should write, shouldn't I?)

Later, all four were all in braces at the same time. I have no entertaining tidbit to pass on about that situation. The only "joke" there was definitely me writing checks every month that approximated our mortgage payment.

I'm sure I'll have some entertaining (for you, maybe!) stories to tell next year when all four are in college and we'll be paying tuition for three of them. Stand by for that (she says sarcastically).

But today's story is the next installment in the Wisdom Tooth Saga, in which all four kids have their wisdom teeth extracted in quick succession. Actually, that's not entirely true because Elisabeth had hers out last year (or was it the year before?). It's the other three who are having the surgery done now (as in, these approximate days). Kat had hers out in late December and is still on "wisdom tooth maintenance."

And today was Peter's turn. As I write this, Peter is on the couch downstairs with Danelle, and is finally coming down a bit from his drug-induced stand-up comedy routine that we've been enjoying since the minute he woke up from the "thur-dury" as he's been calling it, due to a gauze-filled mouth. If those drugs just strip away inhibitions and make people more who they really are, the comedy routine is entirely apropos, as Peter is definitely a born comedian! (This picture was taken within moments of him waking up from surgery.)

After Kat's surgery a few weeks ago, she woke up crying, even sobbing at times, interrupting herself to say, "I don't know why I'm crying! Really, I'm fine. I'm just cryyyyying!" Fortunately, the nurses assured her that crying is an entirely normal reaction that many patients have after this surgery. Judging from their reaction to Peter's antics (they were cracking up with the rest of us), Kat's reaction is much more common than Peter's. "Thur-dury! Thwell. And it dudn't even huuwt! I think we thuld all jutt roll on oudda here!" He was Peter-the-Happy-Drunk-Stand-Up-Comic and we were all his audience. But just as were were about to order cocktails and enjoy the rest of the show, it was time for us to go.

So that's five out of six of us who have now had our wisdom teeth removed. For the record, here are our very different reactions:

Tom: Had the surgery after we were married, when he was about 31. He woke up suddenly, bolted to a full sit and was ready to go. He even insisted in stopping at the video store on the way home.
Me: I had the surgery at 19, accompanied by my then-boyfriend. The first person I saw upon waking up was the cute, young male orderly who helped me sit up. I (apparently... or so the story goes) proceeded to ask if I could hug him and, too impatient to wait for an answer, hugged him -- twice. Fortunately, my then-boyfriend had a sense of humor.
Elisabeth saw the whole thing as a scientific experiment and asked the oral surgeon to take part. She asked him to tell her a number and a color while she was out (being on Versed, she'd be able to converse, even while "under") and then quiz her multiple times as she was coming out from the anesthesia. He did. She failed. And failed. And failed. Her conclusion: the amnesic anesthesia was, indeed, an amnesic. That girls is a perpetual student!
Kat: Cried upon waking. Probably the most normal reaction, and the only one (so far) in our family who had it.
Peter: See above.
Aleks: We'll wait on Aleks' surgery for two reasons: 1.) He's not complaining of any pain yet and these surgeries are expensive (even with insurance -- and even with dual coverage, as Peter has). And 2.) I greatly fear for his reaction, upon waking! I have a feeling he'd engage those nice, friendly nurses in a political, philosophic, religious, social, and existential debate... both crying and laughing as he espouses his not-entirely-open-minded viewpoint!