Grammy's Birthday... And Kirsten's New Grill

Grammy's birthday fell on an exciting date this year... 09-09-09... pretty awesome right? Too bad she was way to sick to celebrate. Friday night she decided she was up for a dinner with Team Taylor (crazy woman). We met up at our favorite family-style pizza restaurant. The kiddos had each made Grammy (aka Mimi) a card, and brought her some roses. Kirsten chose a dozen multi-colored roses and the boys each had a single rose to give her... sweet right? It should have been a precious presentation as we entered the restaurant... and it was... but not quite in the way I'd imagined.

Kirsten gave Grammy her flowers, Danny followed and (with some encouragement) gave Grammy his flower. Matt was in a bit of a mood (very unlike him... he's usually the "easy" child) and needed a lot of guidance. When he finally reached the table he cheered up, I told him, "Give Mimi her flower", and he ripped the blossom off the top of the rose and handed it to Mimi with proud dimples. It was so innocent and so sweet... such an adorable way to ruin her flower :)



This was the only picture I got of Grammy... I had a great picture of Grammy and all 3 little ones staged. Unfortunately I hit the wrong button on the camera and took a video instead. I should figure out how to upload the stupid thing... It starts as an adorable staged photo... then my mom screams and gasps, and the camera shoots up to the ceiling. That was the instant that Matt took a ball point pen to the eye.

...Actually it was just under his eye... but it was JUST under his eye. There was some blood... we couldn't tell where he was hit (by Danny who was "writing"). I grabbed him, ran for the bathroom, and yelled back for Brian. The 3 of us spent some time in the Ladies room and emerged with a bloody, black-eyed little Matt, but (thank God!) his eyeball was fine. It's always an adventure with Team Taylor!

We also enjoyed lots of smiles from Kirsten's new "grill" that night. Kirsten has had 5 teeth pulled in the past 3 weeks and had spacers installed in her mouth. As she's been losing teeth, over the past few years, the new teeth have been fighting for space. Recently, Brian said she had "shark teeth" because she was getting 2 rows... there was not enough room for the new teeth coming in, so her "grill" was becoming quite interesting.

People always tell us how beautiful Kirsten is (I hope that doesn't sound obnoxious in print... but it's true)... my joking answer is always that nature didn't prepare me for such a beautiful daughter... my genes were supposed to create a simple, average, pretty child... not a true beauty (it's a bit of a self-deprecating joke that again may not "read right" but it makes people laugh) ANYWAY... when Kirsten was 3 she had a very sweet ENT doctor that I used to make this joke with. His answer was always that I should "pray for braces and non-scarring acne". He said that would be the only way for us to make it though the teenage years. It was really funny. The way these teeth are coming in, I'm thinking the orthodontia may be enough to do the trick... I may not even need to pray for other adolescent awkwardnesses :)