#he looks like those dentist toys they use to show how to brush teeth

[torgawl]

is this the man people thirst for?? 😭

[mlqcconfessions]

*chanting* the boys as dads. the boys as dads. tHE BOYS AS DADS. THE BOYS AS DADS! THE BOYS AS DADS!! (plus points if the kid looks JUST like MC?)

YESS. YESSS.

YESSSSSSSS

MLQC Headcanon - Our little treasure

Victor

He’s the father of a lovely daughter, who looks just like you (to his amusement)

He loves waking up in the morning seeing MC 1.0 and MC 2.0 in bed together

Calls her his little angel (Does that make him Father angel?)

He buys the best presents on her birthday (which unofficially became a celebrated holiday at LFG)

You and your daughter sometimes visit him at the office (much to his delight)

Finishes an entire day’s worth of documents so he can dedicate his time to playing with her

Has her toy kitchen set placed in the corner of his office (so she can bake him a cake while he works which he pretends to eat)

HAS A FRAMED PICTURE OF YOU AND HIS DAUGHTER ON HIS DESK (taken from when you were going apple picking last fall)

He hangs the “I love you” card she made for him on her 3rd birthday on his wall (shows it off to Goldman who doesn’t get paid enough to listen to his boss’ gushes)

Loves the outfits you dress her in (loves it even more when you two are matching)

Hosts the most extravagant parties to celebrate the most random events (the biggest one to date was when she said “dadda” for the first time)

Makes her pudding, but not too often

He wants to prevent her from going to the dentist (just in case she gets scared)

Victor, she’s going to have to go see a dentist someday

He tries hard to not let his daughter become spoiled

He makes her work for rewards

But is actually weak against her tears (you’re the one who has to set your foot down, most of the time)

He looks forward to going home after work (sometimes makes Goldman lock the doors to LFG so he can go home faster)

He loves being greeting by the two of you, while she runs up to hug him

He feels so content in these moments that nothing seems impossible

So he’s ready for another one

Kiro

TWIN. SONS.

SO RAMBUNCTIOUS (he’s actually the loudest one)

He notices their love for music early on

He sings along with them while bathing them

Spends the little break times he has to memorize the opening of their favorite show (he takes on one of the characters to dance with his sons)

He brings his sons to the recording studio, letting them go wild inside

He secretly records them singing in the booth (sets it as his ringtone)

Definitely the type to tell them stories about the monster in the closet, with dramatic sound effects (that’s not what your angelic voice is for, Kiro)

He’s so intrigued at how they look like you (but with blond hair)

Doesn’t like getting mad often, but will do it if he has to (actually pretty scary when he’s scolding them)

He asks Savin all sorts of questions (that he honestly doesn’t want to know the context of)

Savin, how do you remove a ring from a baby’s stomach? 

You found out later from Savin (I left the room for 5 minutes, Kiro. And you let the baby swallow your ring?)

Frequent games of “Who can hug mommy the tightest?” (he just picks you up bridal style, letting your legs dangle over the twins’ heads)

Insists he tags along on play dates with the neighborhood kids

He gets along so well with the parents?

Gives standing ovations at their school plays (YES! Do you see those trees? They’re MY trees!)

He makes things like chores and brushing teeth into a game (so they won’t be as hostile towards them)

150% wears matching pajamas with the twins (honestly, it’s like you’re raising 3 kids)

Has mini concerts at home (it’s good that you live in a house, and not an apartment)

WRITES SONGS ABOUT HIS SONS

Performs them on tours ONLY when he knows you’ll bring them there

Has a bedtime routine with them (kiss mommy goodnight, kiss daddy goodnight daddy kisses mommy goodnight)

Always wakes up to see them in weird sleeping positions (takes a picture every time, later makes them into a full album became the present for their 18th birthday)

Lucien

A beautiful daughter, a beautiful wife

Nothing more he could ask for

He’s into making home videos (likes to watch them in between his lectures)

He just likes looking at her (because she reminds him so much of you)

Isn’t reluctant to introduce her to the other professors (but doesn’t like it when they get a little too close)

He can’t hide his triumphant smirk whenever she tells him to pick her up (sorry Dr., it seems my daughter is wary of strangers)

He likes noticing the small details about his child (and how she has the same habits as you)

Like how you stick out your tongue when concentrating

Or how one eye squints a little more than the other when smiling

He buys a tiny lab coat for her (after she said she wanted to be a white fairy princess like her dad)

RAISES. BUTTERFLIES. WITH. HER. (the whole caterpillar to cocoon shabang)

He calls her his Blue Morpho (you’re his Monarch)

Explains every animal during trips to the zoo (she loves calling the animals by their scientific names)

He’s so tall? He has to bend down in order to hold her hand (the reason why he just rolls the stroller instead / just picks her up)

He does little science experiments with her (safe ones, of course)

He takes her word for it when she exclaims how colorful everything is

You sometimes bring her to classes when he’s scheduled to lecture

The class can’t focus while a toddler keeps drawing stuff on the board

He plays picture card games with her

Ok, then what animal is this one?

Leopardus pardalis! (You actually can’t keep up with their conversations sometimes)

He has to hold her hand during her naps (she said it helps her fall asleep better, or something like that)

He’s not complaining

Gavin

He can’t believe this is actually happening

He’s going to be a FATHER

And with YOUR child! (the nurses had to stop him from barging into the room so often)

He insisted that he try the Empathy Belly (so he could exactly know what you were going through during pregnancy)

Didn’t think it would be THIS difficult to just live a daily life

SO PROTECTIVE over his daughter (literally follows closely behind her)

He was honestly worried about being a dad (especially after growing up with that asshole kind of parent)

You put full trust in him because Gavin is DIFFERENT from his father (and now he can believe that)

He loves just how much she looks like you (it’s like watching a mini-you run around the house)

Has workout sessions with her (push-up kisses, squats with her dangling on his shoulders, bench presses with her as weight)

Likes it when she tags along with him to the police station (he brags to the other officers every time)

But bringing her to STF? NO WAY IN HELL (although Eli does come over sometimes)

He changed his diet (from instant ramen) so she could be a healthy child

Has an entire closet full of bandages, ointments, and medicine for when she’s hurt or gets sick (if only he took care of his own injuries like that)

But he is a lot more careful when fighting on the scene

He doesn’t want her to cry over his wounds like LAST TIME (he was so surprised)

Uncle Minor acts as the unofficial godfather (he’s actually good at taking care of kids?)

Gavin teaches her how to ride a 2-wheeled bike (he’s so afraid of letting go, even if she insisted)

He likes taking her out on flights when she’s a little older (they always visit the Ferris wheel afterwards)

He makes another ginkgo bracelet just for her

He has pretend tea parties with her and you (Uncle Minor is the butler for some reason)

He keeps the drawing of you, Gavin, and her safely tucked inside his pocket during missions (it’s his good luck charm)

Doesn’t let her use Sparky, but does let her help him clean it

DEFINITELY THE TYPE TO WALK WITH HER ON HIS SHOULDERS (she’s holding on his neck, chin resting on the top of his head)

Worries about the future boyfriend she’s gonna bring home 

Gavin, she’s only 5

Well, yeah but for NOW

WHEW

That was a lot of fluff

Which was your favorite part? Mine would probably be Gavin working out with his daughter (because I’m Birdcop trash like that and actually imagined it)

[rixxy8173571m3w1p3]

The Remembrance Of A Kiss

I was feeling nostalgic for a fic which I wrote almost three years ago called Zeta-7 and The Kiss; it was written back when I first started writing Rnm fics. While, I don't write how I used to, I am fond of it. So, here's this finished wip. I think I'm running on nostalgia these days, for things are changing faster then I can keep up with. Anyway, I hope you guys like it. It's guaranteed to be fluffy :3

In this fic the reader thinks about a past momentous moment.

_____________________

The trouble and light anxiety you had felt about the occasion had been insignificant compared to his. Back then you had been searching for an answer or rather a solution to a predicament; the problem at the time being that you weren't sure how to broach the subject of a certain display of affection. It was neither a lack or an abundance of affection, and it seems silly now when you thought of it, which was often, but when and where had your inclination to kiss him first begin? It might have always been there, but that statement in itself seemed like a lie, for you didn't want to kiss him when you initially met him, but he had been influential; recognizing you from another time, another life, but that wasn't what you came here to talk about. No, you wanted to think of that fateful day.

That day he had been in his usual delightful mood, the kind that came about because he got to see you and was genuinely having a good day; although, with him, he tended to find good in every day and as expected he was deliciously cheerful and had a smile which could last for days upon his thin lips. Oh, how you had loved that smile for it followed you everywhere, even when you couldn't seem him; that haircut which had been copied from an old clothing catalog advertisement and moved about when he spoke; buck teeth which dentists could only dream to keep as trophies, and the hint of lip bite when he'd finished talking; it was part of the draw. You fought, swallowed, and bided your time as you thought of the ways in which you could show him you loved him. For you, there was a momentum, a force which couldn't have been stopped; beginning with his hellos, and would build as you continued to be so affected and had been desperate to satisfy the longing and affection which pulled and drowned your senses whenever he was near; it made you reason that it was the right thing to do; to express and ask if it was alright to move forward; it was and he agreed, but he never quite recovered from being kissed. 

No, you didn't mean all the kisses which occurred after and had taken place up to the present per se, but from the first one you had given him around the start of your relationship; having made such an impression, it was as though you had branded his heart and soul; that a string was tied to one of your ribs and to one of his ventricles which kept him alive only by his sheer will to withstand the forces and madness that threatened to tear him apart daily; he could never recover. You would say that he grew a little more mature that day; in mind, spirit, but not in age. To be sure, things had been so different then; Rick had been so shy when it came to romantic sensibilities, naive to others advances or otherwise natural attraction to him, believing he was unworthy of such while you had so much to learn about the mysteries of men; neither knew what the other had been going through. You hadn't known about his otherworldly adventures yet, his loneliness, or uniqueness, and he knew almost everything except your personality quirks, but as to how he knew was a different story.

Still, that was then, back when there was so much yet to be known, and you thought him to be human. You remembered how for days, he walked as though in a daze, bumping into things and hardly able to look you in the eyes without being lovestruck and tongue-tied; you were sure to watch after him to make sure you hadn't given him a stroke and assured him that he shouldn't deny his worth. Why it seemed even now he could barely function without being a little goofy after a kiss, but it was endearing; you hadn't known then about how he had been starved for affection due to lack of family and circumstances. Yet, if you had any doubts, they certainly were lessened by his attentiveness and wanting to please.

You were sure others might've tired of this behavior long ago, and you had your days in when you thought you weren't capable of managing it all, but for every time you came crashing down, he was there to help you even when you didn't want him to; for every tear and moment of grief, there was his affection which he returns out of love, gratitude, and fear all at once. Oh, if you knew then what you knew now, you would've confessed earlier; let him know how much you had cared, and tried harder to be a better friend. Still, you were making it up to him and doubted you'd ever finish making it up to him. And because he was forever grateful and happy when you kissed him, you decided to ask him one day what it was that he found so dazzling about it and to your shock, his answer endeared him to you all the more. "It's like saying h-hello." he answered matter of factly.

"Really? In what way?" 

"Gosh," he wondered, scratching the back of his neck. "it's uh - it's like touching hands, but instead of the formality of a-a handshake, you touch lips to greet and exchange not only DNA but affection. Culture or whoever happens to partake in this ritual may affect its meaning, but in such an awe-inspiring way I believe it's a reminder of trust and union; albeit more intimate."

Was that how he had felt back then? Had it been a social experiment or a daydream that had come into fruition? Perhaps neither. Maybe, he was concerned that you'd be disappointed if that so-called spark wasn't there, but the good thing was you relied more on just sparks. "So, what you mean to say is that in a sense those who kiss are bonded?"

"I th-think so."

And you believed him, for when it came to such matters, he was sincere. Why it must've hit him harder than it ever will with you, but you blamed being a creature of natural circumstance for that; your childhood and life had been happy and general for the most part, while his had more loops in it then the Whirly Dirly. Thinking of it now, the consequence of your affection was that he took to you so strongly, you were sure that if something happened to you, it might kill him; the thought being burdensome in its own right.

You had never thought of pairing the word passionate with him, but his sensibilities to and of the world in which he existed in as well as to interactions with the beings in it made you wonder if there was anything or anyone he could truly hate; himself perhaps for that was who he was most affected by. 

"Rick," you started, pushing away the unsettling thoughts as you set down the book you had been reading. "I think that's sweet. You certainly have a knack for seeing the poetic nature behind the reality, but what are your thoughts on the people who kiss for fun?"

He ruminated for a moment. It might've occurred to him that people didn't always kiss with the intention of forming serious relationships, but he would be sure to make a note of finding out later. "Gosh, I'm sure there are some benefits t-t-to it, though I haven't done much research on the matter."

Who knew where one would begin on such a subject. There were books on both physiology and psychology, but did any of them go into the happenstance of a kiss? You hadn't thought of checking, but knowing the intelligent man that he was, perhaps he had looked into it. "Research huh? Dear," you explained, "people don't just research kisses as though they are studies or hypothesized."

"Th-they don't?"

"At least not that I know of. I mean, people simply see and do. Don't they? Is there more?"

"Y-yes and no. It depends on the species."

"Hmm, I guess it does."

Again, you wouldn't know. There must've been planets, realities, and universes whose signs of affection transcended that of action, but while it was a fascinating thought, you were glad that in your reality that wasn't the case in its entirety. Searching his face, you found that his brow was scrunched up together, wondering if there was more to it. You had thought the question innocent enough, he, on the other hand, wouldn't be satisfied until he found the truth behind your inquiry. Not being one to try to disappoint him, you turned towards him and nodded. "However, I have my own answer. If you come closer I can show you what I mean."

Removing his glasses, he scooted closer; curious to see if the answer was somehow in your pocket or hiding on his face. The trust which allowed him to focus on you with conviction as you approached him was palpable. Lightly, you brushed back his bangs and passed your fingers lightly over his frown lines. Silly man, he thought too much for his own good, but if he had been unsure earlier, then the blush which dusted his ears and cheeks said otherwise. Stretching up, you pressed a light kiss on his forehead; not unlike the ones he'd give you when he thought you were asleep. And you smiled at him from the bottom of your heart. In turn, he chuckled in happy amusement; boyish in the way his eyes glimmered as though he had gotten a new toy. "Gee, that was - that was swell, but I-I don't understand. Wh-what was that for?"

"I see you and I must kiss you. It's practically the law." you giggled before repeating the action.

"Are y-y-you sure?" he wondered, tucking a lock of your hair behind your ear. 

Pulling back a little, you nodded. "I'm positive. Especially since it's what you deserve."

The light chuckle which escaped him only fed your joy as you peppered him with kisses. And before you could see it, you felt him smiling and glowing with happiness as his goofy grin returned with a vengeance. 

"Gosh," he sighed with contentment, "I-I learn something new everyday."

"I bet you do, but really a kiss is nothing to think too hard about."

"I-I know."

"If anything, I think it's based on a feeling. For example," you paused to give yourself a moment to gather your thoughts together. "the reason I kiss you is the same reason I've always had and it's because I care about you. In my own way, it's like I'm saying, 'Hello, I missed you, come here, I love you. Oh, I love you so very much. Thank you, for simply existing and being here with me.' Maybe we both have the same reason as to why words sometimes aren't enough, and while a kiss is simple, it's not always so easy to execute, but nothing is wrong with that. It's all done in its own time. In its own way. I am happy you let me kiss you way back when, because I adored you so much that it hurt. I still adore you, and you'll always be precious to me."

Glancing at you in wonderment, he played with his fingers then searched your face again. In his soul, he knew you weren't lying, but since you've first known him, he always seemed to be searching, as well as fighting his self-condemning mind and heart especially having been injured so many times. As though you had a world of answers for some of his simple questions that he would've otherwise been too embarrassed to ask, he'd open his mouth just to close it again. You had assured him on multiple occasions that he could ask you anything, but his bashful nature gave allowances for this; endearing in its own right. Once he seemed satisfied, he took out his notepad and wrote down some notes; if you didn't know any better, you'd think he was writing a thesis by the way the words slanted and blended into one another as he concentrated on the details, all the while sporting that lovestruck grin. "What are you writing dear? Is it a love letter? Is it about the trees, or bees, or whatever goes about in that wonderful head of yours?"

"I'm updating my notes."

This much you knew. "But on what? Not on kissing, right? That would be something." you teased.

"N-n-no," he answered softly, "but on you."

"Is that right? Is there any particular reason?" 

"Mhm," he nodded. "so I won't forget."

What a silly man he was, you thought. "It's ok to forget things, but I'm sure you won't. Besides, who forgets the first person they kiss?"

"N-not me."

"Of course not, especially with all the reminders that come after. I doubt I will, but reminders are appreciated. I wouldn't want to forget how happy you make me."

Slowing down his note-taking, he mentioned. "I like reminders too."

Of course he did. From years of journal keeping to the multiple watches and small computers that were scattered about the house, for there was so much going on in his head he needed help keeping his train of thought straight. It was just another way of saying in so many words, how much he loved you. "So do I. And trust me, I'll be sure to remind you a lot. As much as you need, and as often as I can. Hopefully," you winked at him. "I'll be reminded soon."

Giving your hand a squeeze, he softened. "I um - I don't mind reminding you. I-I really like reminders."

"I know, but do you like them more than adventures, or as far as that ship in the garage will take you?" you teased.

Replacing the notepad in his pocket, he nodded. "As far as 238,855 miles w-will take me."

Miles or kilometers were but measurements and distance, but that distance you were sure was not on Earth. "Do you mean to the moon?"

Pressing a light kiss to your temple, he answered. "Por supuesto, y-y más allá de eso. Please, don't forget"

Forget? Why would you forget? If there was a prelude, it was the flutter and happy giddiness which occurred when you caught him off guard, but to whatever came after, it was effervescent, sweet, and addictive. And while it could be said about a lot of things, he was far more complex. You see, you never recovered from being kissed, because you were enticed by his charm, and won by his goodness, but a kiss sealed the deal; for now and forever you belonged to him and you weren't going to let him forget it. Cupping his cheek, you replied. "I won't and I never will Ricky. You can bet on that," as you leaned forward, you whispered. "and seal it with a kiss."

Fin

[bettydice]

(Planning the Day) To Meet You

Wangxian, Modern AU, Slow Burn, E-Rated 

[Read on AO3]

Chapter 15

Sunday, 23rd day with… No, Lan Wangji doesn’t have to count anymore.

Lan Wangji wakes and feels warmer than usual. His confusion dissipates quickly and is replaced by contentment. Wei Ying is sleeping next to him, almost on him. Instead of getting up immediately, Lan Wangji indulges for a little while. Taking in the feelings of Wei Ying’s long hair tickling his neck, the reassuring weight of his arm and leg, slung across his body, the soft sound of his even breathing.

Then he spends a few minutes trying to extract himself from under Wei Ying without waking him. When he finally succeeds, a look at his phone tells him it’s almost 6:30 a.m. already. It also tells him he has unread messages from Wei Ying. Lan Wangji frowns and unlocks his phone. Why…

Your brother is lucky to have you, and I think he knows that, too. I’m also lucky to have you. You’re so sweet and kind and loving. You only deserve good things.

Lan Zhan I’m also in love with you

Lan Zhan slowly lifts his eyes from his phone to look at Wei Ying, sleeping sweetly in his bed. Tears usually don’t come easily to him, but now he feels them, threatening to spill over. Has he ever cried of happiness before?

Wei Ying should sleep as long as he’d like, but Lan Wangji also wants to wake him now and kiss him. For now, he contents himself with adjusting the blanket and gently tucking a few hairs that had fallen across his face behind Wei Ying’s ear. Then he leaves the room, quietly closing the door behind him.

Since it’s Sunday, he doesn’t change out of his pyjamas, only freshens up a little, before he goes into the kitchen. He prepares breakfast in a way so he won’t have to do much once Wei Ying wakes. He cooks congee, slices fruits and uses the last leftovers from their picnic. It’ll be too much for two people but Wei Ying is clearly overdue for a proper breakfast.

It’s not even 7:30 a.m. yet when he’s done. He has a feeling Wei Ying won’t be awake for quite a while, considering he sent those last few messages around 1:00 a.m.

Since it’s Sunday and he’s still wearing his pyjamas and Wei Ying is in love with him, Lan Wangji does something unprecedented: He goes back to bed. He sits down next to Wei Ying, a book in hand. It’s only fair that Wei Ying won’t wake to an empty bed and will see him first thing in the morning, too. And why would Lan Wangji be in any other room, when he can be right here.

Even though he spends a lot of time looking at Wei Ying’s face, he still manages to read quite a few pages, because Wei Ying doesn’t wake up until it’s almost 10 a.m. As soon as he hears Wei Ying begin to stir, Lan Wangji closes his book and puts it on the bedside table.

Wei Ying yawns and rubs his eyes, then looks around. He looks a little confused until his eyes fall on Lan Wangji and instantly a smile appears on his face.

“Lan… “ Wei Ying’s voice is rough from sleep. He clears his throat. “Good morning.”

“Good morning, Wei Ying.”

“What time is it?”

“10 a.m.”

“Huh? Then why are you still in bed?” Wei Ying inquires, as he takes Lan Wangji’s hand and pulls it towards his face, so he can rest his cheek on it.

“In bed again. Wanted to be here when you wake up.”

“How dare you… Too cute... So early in the morning…” Wei Ying mumbles into his palm. Then he lifts his head a little, squinting at Lan Wangji. “Lan Zhan… please lean down so I can kiss you.”

Wei Ying tugs on his hand and Lan Wangji lets himself be pulled into a sweet, unhurried kiss. Lan Wangji wants to say You’re not a coward and I already knew but thank you for telling me but he thinks maybe Wei Ying would prefer it if he didn’t acknowledge his messages with words. Instead, he replies with tender kisses and soft touches, letting Wei Ying know he is loved and cherished.

When Lan Zhan’s stomach interrupts them rudely by grumbling, they make their way into the kitchen. Wei Ying, wearing one of Lan Wangji’s t-shirts, barely scolds him for the excessive breakfast.

Wei Ying leaves around 12 p.m., and Lan Wangji realises he doesn’t find saying goodbye any easier even after Wei Ying spent the night.

Monday

Monday is not a good day. Wei Ying is visiting his family, since his sister is back from her vacation, and Lan Wangji has scheduled his annual dentist and optometrist check-ups, so they do not see each other. Wei Ying sends him a few selfies, but Lan Wangji can’t hug or kiss those.

Tuesday

Lan Wangji doesn’t have many favourite places, doesn’t have many favourites at all, so he wants to share them all with Wei Ying. Today, he takes him to the botanical garden. He used to come here often with Xichen. They still meet here on occasion, though less frequently so.

Wei Ying brings his sketchbook and a few pencils, and Lan Wangji brings a book. Whenever Wei Ying sees something he wants to draw, they look for a bench and Lan Wangji reads, while Wei Ying sketches.

There are barely any other visitors, so when they’re standing on a wooden bridge across a lotus pond, hidden from view by trees, Lan Wangji takes Wei Ying’s face between his hands and kisses him.

Wei Ying spends the night again.

Wednesday

Lan Wangji loves falling asleep and waking up next to Wei Ying. But he doesn’t like that their mornings seem to count as their time together for the day. Rationally, he knows it’s important to spend time apart, too. They said they wouldn’t rush, so Lan Wangji will try to apply that to all aspects of their relationship.

It does feel a little rushed, when Wei Ying suddenly kneels down in front of him and sucks him off in the kitchen because “seeing you chop vegetables just does something to me”, which is… very specific, but Lan Wangji sees no reason to question it further when Wei Ying’s soft lips wrap around him.

Thursday

Wei Ying declares that for equality reasons, Lan Wangji should sleep over at his flat for once and Wei Ying will make him breakfast in the morning, too.

Lan Wangji enjoys being part of their evening routine. Enjoys brushing his teeth for several minutes next to A-Yuan, until A-Yuan finally allows the toothbrush to enter his mouth. Enjoys listening to Wei Ying’s bedtime story. This time, A-Yuan even kisses his cheek to say goodnight - a high honour according to Wen Qing. Lan Wangji will treasure it.

Wei Ying’s bed is a bit cramped with both of them in it, but it’s large enough to kiss until Lan Wangji falls asleep, arms wrapped around Wei Ying.

Friday

Wei Ying had given him express permission to walk around the flat once he wakes up and Wen Qing confirmed that she would be up very early as well. Lan Wangji still feels a little awkward entering the living room after freshening up and getting dressed. However, there’s no need to worry: He drinks tea with Wen Qing while having a pleasant and very efficient conversation.

When A-Yuan wakes up, he climbs on Wen Qing’s lap, burying his face in her neck until he’s fully awake. And then he’s fully awake, dragging Lan Wangji into his room to show him his very impressive collection of wooden toy blocks. Wen Qing follows them, then says: “Alright, I’m off. A-Ning should be up soon. It’s always nice to see you, Lan Wangji.” Then she kisses A-Yuan’s cheek and simply… leaves. Lan Wangji is alone with A-Yuan, Wen Ning and Wei Ying are asleep and Wen Qing simply leaves!

Luckily, A-Yuan doesn’t seem to notice or care about these panic-inducing circumstances and they spend the next twenty minutes building very high towers out of building blocks for A-Yuan to destroy, so they can do it all over again. It’s surprisingly relaxing, despite the recurring destruction.

When Wen Ning gets up, he wishes them a good morning, before disappearing into the kitchen to make breakfast. Apparently he’s also confident Lan Wangji can be left alone with A-Yuan.

Surprisingly, Wei Ying joins them shortly after, clearly not yet fully awake. He scuffles into A-Yuan’s room, hair mussed, eyes puffy, and has only thrown on a t-shirt over his boxer shorts.

“Mmmhrrrmmnmmmnng”, he groans into Lan Wangji’s ear as he kneels down and drapes himself over Lan Wangji’s back, arms wrapping around his neck.

“Good morning, Wei Ying.”

“Mmmnmmmn.”

“You’re up early.”

“Said I would make breakfast.”

“Wen Ning is already preparing it.”

“Ugggghhhhhh, I got up at the break of dawn for nothing?”

“Dawn was approximately two hours ago.”

“At the break of dawn, for nothing!”

Wei Ying groans again, burying his head into Lan Wangji’s shoulder, who thinks this is not for nothing at all. He actually rather likes it.

Wei Ying keeps clinging to him while Lan Wangji dutifully stacks toy blocks. Lan Wangji is beginning to wonder whether he fell asleep again when Wei Ying suddenly starts pressing soft kisses to his neck.

“Wei Ying,” Lan Wangji warns with a glance towards A-Yuan, who pays them no mind.

“Can’t help it. You look so cute, frowning at those blocks, making sure they’re all evenly aligned.”

Wei Ying has worked his way up to Lan Wangji’s cheek, when Wen Ning appears in the doorway to let them know that breakfast is done. Wei Ying sends an exaggerated glare his way, but stands up as well when Lan Wangji gets to his feet. Wei Ying slides his arms down and wraps them around Lan Wangji’s waist instead. The walk into the living room is a bit awkward this way, but Lan Wangji doesn’t mind.

Lan Wangji goes home after they’ve dropped A-Yuan off at the daycare, but not before inviting Wei Ying over for dinner (and to stay the night). Wei Ying eagerly accepts after Lan Wangji hints at the benefits of having a flat to themselves.

The benefits include Lan Wangji undressing Wei Ying and spreading him out on his bed, so he can kiss every inch of skin he can reach. Finally, he can watch as much as he wants to, take in all of Wei Ying’s reactions. He hears his gasp when Lan Wangji drags his lips along Wei Ying’s cock for the first time, sees how he desperately holds on to the pillow, when Lan Wangji gently bites and sucks on his nipples.

Eventually, Wei Ying can’t hold back anymore, drags Lan Wangji up so they can kiss. A moment later, Wei Ying’s hand, somehow slick with lube, wraps around their cocks and then they’re moving against each other. A smooth slide, intense in a way entirely new to Lan Wangji, and he comes shortly after Wei Ying, gasping against his lips.

Lan Wangji sleeps very well that night.

Saturday

After they’ve finished a late - for Lan Wangji’s standards - breakfast, Wei Ying gets a call from Wen Ning telling him that he and A-Yuan will spend some time on the playground close to Lan Wangji’s house. Wei Ying cocks his head at Lan Wangji, and before he can ask him, Lan Wangji says: “Yes.”

They haven’t been long at the playground - A-Yuan has only managed to make one sand cake - when Wei Ying receives another call.

“Jiejie!”

Wei Ying listens to his sister for a few seconds, then grins. “I’m on the playground, you know, the one where A-Ling almost ate a bug. Lan Zhan is here, too!”

Wei Ying winks at him and Lan Wangji smiles. He’s glad Wei Ying’s nephew didn’t actually eat a bug.

“Oh, yes, sure! That’d be great!” Wei Ying sounds very excited about whatever his sister just told him. “Alright, see you in a bit!”

Lan Wangji freezes.

Wei Ying slips his phone back into his pocket, turns to Lan Wangji, and sends a radiant smile his way.

“Lan Zhan, you’ll get to meet my sister and my nephew in just a few minutes!”

“Now?” Lan Wangji feels as though someone pulled the rug out from under his feet, though there is no carpet here, only sand. He still clutches his knees, needing to hold on to something.

“Yeah! Yanli said they’re really close and she’ll come over. She’s been dying to meet you!”

“Wei Ying, I’m not prepared!”

“Huh?”

“I’m… I don’t have a gift. I’m wearing rolled up trousers!” His hair must be a mess, too. Did he even brush it this morning? In his panic he can’t remember.

“Lan Zhan, don’t worry! Jiang Yanli is the loveliest person on this planet! Next to your brother, of course. And you. And… Anyway, she doesn’t care about any of that. No need to be nervous, you’re Lan Zhan! Nobody can dislike you anyway!”

Lan Wangji is not convinced of that at all, has collected evidence to the contrary over the years as well, but he tries to keep his panic to a minimum. It’s not like he could leave now or tell Wei Ying to uninvite his sister. It does help that Wei Ying grabs his hand and presses a kiss to his cheek.

“Lan Zhan, I already told her how great you are and how much I like you. You said your brother already liked me, well, this is no different!”

“Wei Ying.”

“Mhm?”

“Did I… brush my hair this morning?”

Wei Ying laughs, takes his face between his hands and kisses him. “Lan Zhan, your hair looks perfect. But I’ll mess it up later, if you want.”

Lan Wangji only stares at him, slightly exasperated. Of course he’d like that but it’s not helpful right now.

Jiang Yanli arrives soon after - too soon -, pushing a large, complicated looking stroller that a very determined toddler tries his best to escape from. She looks a little harried, but as soon as she spots them, a smile lights up her face. Lan Wangji is indeed reminded of his brother a little; Jiang Yanli seems to exude the same sort of niceness that makes one instantly relax in their presence.

“Jiejie!” Wei Ying jumps to his feet and rushes towards his sister. Since he’s still holding on to Lan Wangji’s hand, he has no choice but to follow.

Wei Ying hugs his sister, then frees his nephew from the stroller and blows a raspberry against one of his chubby cheeks. His nephew (Jin Ling, if he remembers correctly) laughs. It’s unexpectedly loud and Lan Wangji barely avoids flinching. Jiang Yanli smiles at him, then pointedly clears her throat at Wei Ying, reminding him to introduce them.

Wei Ying does so, casually waving his hand from one to the other, his loud nephew on his arm, then winks at Lan Wangji and… and abandons him.

Lan Wangji finds himself alone with Jiang Yanli, who laughs after Wei Ying, waves to A-Yuan and Wen Ning, then pushes the stroller towards the bench where they’ve deposited all their things. Lan Wangji follows and sits down next to her, once she gently pats the bench. Since he doesn’t have Wei Ying’s hand to hold on to anymore, he folds his hands and rests them in his lap, hoping it looks casual instead of slightly terrified.

“It’s so nice to finally meet you, Lan Wangji. I’ve heard so much about you.” Jiang Yanli’s voice is so sweet and soothing, Lan Wangji can’t help but relax a little, unclenches his fingers.

“Thank you.” Lan Wangji inclines his head, desperately trying to think of more to say. Jiang Yanli gives him an encouraging smile and patiently waits for him to find the right - or any- words. “And likewise. Wei Ying always speaks very highly of you.” Oh no, should he have called him Wei Wuxian?

“You should come over for dinner one day. My husband makes very delicious desserts. I’m a pretty decent cook myself - and don’t worry, I’m not as generous with the chili oil as my brother.”

“Thank you”, Lan Wangji says, again. He quickly adds: “I’d like that.”

“Tall-gege!” A-Yuan’s yells from across the playground and Lan Wangji immediately stands up, a hint of worry gripping his heart.

The worry is not entirely unjustified, because A-Yuan apparently wants to show him how he jumps from a platform into Wen Ning’s arms. The platform is almost as high as Wen Ning and it does not help soothe Lan Wangji’s emotional turmoil at all. Once A-Yuan is satisfied Lan Wangji has witnessed his reckless stunt, Lan Wangji sits down again, legs now weaker than before.

“It seems he has already adopted you,” Yanli chuckles.

“Mn.” Lan Wangji nods, ears burning. He really doesn’t know what he should reply to that, even though it makes him happy to hear.

“Lan Wangji…” Jiang Yanli clears her throat and he turns his head so he can look at her. She’s smiling but her gaze is determined. “I’m sorry, if I’m overstepping or making you uncomfortable, but I just wanted to express how glad I am Wei Wuxian found you.”

Lan Wangji certainly doesn’t know what to reply to that. Luckily Jiang Yanli says more, so he can try to collect his thoughts.

“He is… People always think A-Xian does what he wants, but he’s actually really bad at living for himself. He is very good at telling himself he doesn’t deserve good things, so… thank you for not letting him do that this time.”

Lan Wangji’s ears are still burning, but now so are his eyes. He feels… a little raw. “... I want to give Wei Ying everything he deserves. Only good things.”

Jiang Yanli’s smile deepens and she rests her hand on his arm for just a second. “Lan Wangji, I think we’ll get along well. We seem to have the same priorities.”

“Mn.” Lan Wangji nods, overwhelmed. “Thank you.”

He’s relieved when a little commotion breaks out next to the climbing frame and requires Jiang Yanli’s attention. Apparently both A-Yuan and Jin Ling are very fond of the only seashell plastic mould and aren’t happy to share. And someone seems to have thrown a plastic shovel at someone’s head. It’s loud and chaotic and Lan Wangji stays on the bench, trying to process his conversation with Wei Ying’s sister.

Jiang Yanli is as lovely as Wei Ying has said, of course she is. Lan Wangji wishes he could’ve been more eloquent but at least he found some words. So all in all, he thinks it went well. He also knows he does not really want to find out what happens, should they ever not ‘have the same priorities’.

When they arrive back in Lan Wangji’s flat, about an hour later, Lan Wangji immediately sits down on his couch and closes his eyes for a few seconds. The couch dips as Wei Ying sits down next to him, and soon Lan Wangji feels Wei Ying’s fingers caress his cheek.

“Lan Zhan… are you exhausted?”

“A little.” Lan Wangji keeps his eyes closed a bit longer, enjoying Wei Ying’s touch.

“Ah, I’m so sorry, Lan Zhan! I didn’t think! Of course you’d have preferred to meet Jiejie all proper and prepared! This was very stressful for you, wasn’t it?”

Lan Wangji opens his eyes, because Wei Ying sounds worried, maybe even guilty. He looks it, too, biting his lower lip, frown creasing his forehead.

“It’s okay, Wei Ying. You were right, she’s very nice.” Lan Wangji rests his hand on Wei Ying’s thigh and squeezes a little.

“She is! And you’re also very nice, so you fit well”, Wei Ying exclaims, leans into Lan Wangji’s side and begins littering his cheek with kisses, an activity Lan Wangji has come to understand Wei Ying enjoys doing. “It was still stressful, wasn’t it? And so many people. A-Ling has quite the presence, doesn’t he?” Wei Ying moves on to Lan Wangji’s other cheek. “He’s about twice as loud and chunky as A-Yuan was at that age, haha. It must be because his parents and uncles feed him so much love, don’t you think?”

“Mn.” Lan Wangji has closed his eyes again, happy to listen to Wei Ying’s chatter and having his cheeks kissed.

“Jiejie really likes you a lot though, she gave me a thumbs-up when you weren’t looking. And you’re invited for dinner, right? She’s the best cook, you will like it! You even said you liked my food, so you will absolutely adore hers.”

“Mn.” Lan Wangji tugs Wei Ying closer until he climbs onto his lap, then wraps his arms around him and rests his head on Wei Ying’s shoulder.

“Lan Zhan, do you want to nap?”

“No.” Lan Wangji presses a kiss to Wei Ying’s shoulder, eyes still closed.

For a little while, Wei Ying doesn’t say anything, only strokes over Lan Wangji’s hair and back while Lan Wangji holds him close and breathes him in. Of course, Wei Ying doesn’t stay silent for long.

“Why do your shirts always feel so soft? How am I ever supposed to keep my hands off of you, hm?”

Lan Wangji slightly lifts his head and only quirks his eyebrow at Wei Ying.

“Oooh, I see! I’ve fallen into your cunning trap! Lan Zhan, you’re so sneaky… everyone just thinks you’re a proper, well-cultured gentleman in your fancy clothes, but all you want is…” Wei Ying slides one hand from Lan Wangji’s shoulder to his collar, where he teases across the first button. “Lan Zhan…”

“Mm?” Lan Wangji leans back, so Wei Ying has better access.

“You said you’re going to visit your brother later?” Wei Ying opens the button and kisses Lan Wangji’s throat.

“Mn.”

“How much later?” Another button, another kiss.

“I have time.”

“Let me mess up your hair then.”

[wcmi-22]

An unordinary day in the life of A Mad Hatter.

In a daily life of any man, he takes his responsibilities and puts them into a perfectly aligned routine. But those men aren’t the Mad Hatter of Wonderland.

It was another glorious Monday morning when Reginald’s misshapen alarm clock went off. He soon turned it off promptly and when I say promptly I mean pounding the heck out of it until it finally hit the floor thereby silencing it.

Reginald soon got up,yawned and stretched as he brushed his fingers through his white curly hair. He soon heads to the bathroom where he rid himself of his green cotton pjs along with turnip underwear to take a shower.

Now most men would sing in the shower a simple little ditty but Reginald however was not one of those men. Although he did sing, a simple ditty would simply not cut it.

“What’s that playing on the radio, why do I start swayin to and fro.” He sung and as he sang, he really emphasized the chorus to the song and automatically his voice would bounce off the tile to fill the room up with his singing.

After a brief shower, Reginald puts on his long orange bath robe then shakes his hair until it becomes a fluffy mess thereby grabbing his brush and brushing it out until it becomes curly once more. Soon Reginald will look at himself in the mirror to check for any spots or flaws on himself. Once he sees that he is perfect in his own mad way, he starts to brush his teeth and put on deodorant before heading to his bedroom where he finds his archenemy sitting on his bed waiting for him.

“Ah so we meet again old friend!” Reginald says to the stuffed manatee.

Suddenly he lunges at the stuffed manatee until the both hit the ground. Reginald soon pins the plush toy to the ground and gets up.

“Alright you little creep!”he says in a serious tone “I am going to give you one last chance to take back what you said about my mom!”

Of course, the manatee did not respond back but Reginald still heard what he said.

“I’ll kill you!” He says before elbow slamming the toy to ground and wrestling with it. As they wrestled with the toy some how almost winning, suddenly Reginald spots his clock and witnesses the time.

“Oh goodness look at the time!”he states “I’m going to be late for work!”

He soon wrestles the toy down to the ground and dashes to his closet where in seconds flat he gets into his usual attire before heading out downstairs and out the door.

He soon walked down the road to his hat shop when suddenly he was nearing his stopping point once more. There he sees the lovely Alice in her what Reginald would call it “lonely two story abode.” He soon leaps over the fence on loves light wings and terries toward her bedroom window under the same tree where he nearly fell. He soon throws a pebble or two at her window before she angrily opens the window. As she looks down, there she sees the fool grinning with his white gloved hand on his hat tipping it to her.

“Good Morning, Cricket!” He said cheerfully.

“Well, it was until you started throwing rocks at my window!” She said “Didn’t your mother ever teach you not to throw rocks at windows?!”

As he thought of how to respond to her question, suddenly he saw Alice’s attire and with a wicked grin responded.

“Didn’t your mother ever teach about modesty, dearest!” He said slyly pointing to her outfit.

Alice curious looked down to find that her new silk robe showed a little too much cleavage. She gasped and wrapped herself up in embarrassment with a blanket nearby all the while blushing with both embarrassment and anger as she heard the mad man laugh.

“Oh you insidious cad!!! You you...”

As she kept on with her rant, suddenly Reginald noticed his watch and realized he had to leave.

“Wish I can hear more of your beautiful poetry, Cricket but I must get to work, later buttercup!”

He says then dashed out, jumping over her fence once more and onto the sidewalk.

Finally, he made it to his home away from home, his hat shop which had become very popular around wonderland.

As he entered through his shop, he met with one of his employees, Ari the Aracuen bird who was organizing the ribbons in alphabetical order. He beeped a hello to his boss and soon started dusting the display hats with his feathered head.

“Keep up the good work Ari!” Reginald says.

Suddenly, he is met by another one of his employees, the white rabbit who represented all the finances and worked the cash register.

“Good morning, Mr Theophilus the third!” The rabbit said hopping with his clipboard along side him as he walked throughout the store.

“Morning, Rabbit! What’s on our schedule?”

“Well you have 7 deliveries for the 7 dwarves,” Rabbit explained “A hat showing for Lady tremaine and her daughters, 5 hats to fix up and also in regards to the mice!”

“The nice what about them?” Reginald asks the nervous rabbit.

As they made it on top of the stairs to the mice’s room suddenly Reginald was surprised to find the mice had little signs and started protesting.

“I’m afraid they have formed a strike!” the rabbit said nervously.

As Reginald watched the mice, he noticed how some of them chanted “no cheddar without cheese!” While some of their signs said things like “Gouda must be a go up if you want us to sew!”

“Ok,” Reginald finally says then starts to whistle for their attention.

“Alright who is in charge of the strike!” Reginald asks.

Soon a little brown mouse with a red coat, brown shoes and a red hat step foreword from the crowd.

“Jack?” Reginald questions. “What is all this?”

“We tired of not getting cheese cheese like Reggie promises!” The mouse said in contempt causing the mice to cheer.

“Gus Gus show demands mans!”

Soon a chubby mouse with a yellow hat and shirt comes in with a small list of demands and places it at Reginald’s feet.

Reginald soon picks up the little paper and grabs his glasses from his pocket to read the list.

“Let’s see here, A wheel of Gouda, 3 pounds of mozzarella,new clothes, 1/2 pound of cheddar, maternity leave and dental plans?”Reginald read.

“You guys do realize your mice so the chances of going to a dentist are slim.” Reginald explained.

“Dental we like or we remain on strike!” Jack demanded causing once agin the crowd to cheer.

Reginald sighed and said “ok I’ll agree to the dental plan, maternity leave and the wheel of Gouda but as for the Mozzarella and cheddar I’ll go 2.5 pounds. Plus, with this little strike some will have to work over time! Not by much but still we are running a business here!”

The little mouse then huddled the band together and squeaked their little squeaks on the terms.

“Ok we like deal!” Jack said and held out his hand which Reginald graciously shook with his index finger.

“Now back to work fellas!” Jack commanded and the mouse set off to their tasks.

“See rabbit, it’s all about compromising!” Reginald said and soon closes the door and heads to his own little work area where he met his last two employees.

“Hiya Reg!” Roger rabbit said as he made on last bow on the newly constructed hat.

“Hello roger! How are you now?” Reginald says as he takes off his coat and hat and starts to tie his hair back along with put on his apron.

“Better than yesterday!” Roger says as he uses the sewing machine.

“Good good!” Then Reginald opens the window and gives a little whistle. Suddenly that adorable flying elephant, dumbo, comes flying low toward the window.

“Hey buddy!” Reginald greets him. “I need you to deliver these to the 7 dwarves on miner’s lane!” He soon grabs all 7 of the new hats and places them on back of the pachyderms saddle. Dumbo then gives a little toot to say “I’m on it.” To Reginald before flying away.

Throughout the rest of the day, Reginald fixed,made and delivered hats left and right. He dealt with clients who looked around and he even dealt with the tremaine sisters who were quite picky about everything he sold until they grotesquely settled for a hat that was good enough for their standard.

Of course, they always did do this every Monday so it was nothing new for Reginald to handle. Although he wished they wouldn’t come by every Monday and try for once to not rip the hats he makes.Poor things. Of course, on Mondays he would also be able to see Alice from his work shop window and start to day dream from his work. Luckily, and unluckily, the white rabbit would always pull him out of his day dream and back to reality to finish his work.

As the day wore on he soon grabbed lunch at the little sub shop called “Hunka Hunka burnin Sub.” Then went right back to work. Before he knew it, the day finally ended at 3:30pm with all his limbs still attached. There he got on his coat and hat, closed the shop and left to go to the March hares house for tea and dinner as he usually did.

At the March hares house, tea flew everywhere as usual and so did the soup Reginald made for them. Yet, he loved it none the less.

“I saw Alice today, ears!” He said.

“Oh good heavens what did you do this time!” Ears stared in frustration.

“Nothing...” Reginald said innocently until ears gave him his signature suspicion look.

“Ok something but I was just pointing out that her attire was revealing in her silk robe that’s all! So really I was looking out for her modesty.”

“To which you have none!” Ears said.

“That’s not true!”Reginald interjected “I don’t have sanity I’m always modest!”

“Sure!” Ears sighed sarcastically.

After tea and dinner, Reginald went back to his lonely abode on teacup avenue and turned on the television for his favorite program, duck tales while he got out a nice bowl of chocolate ice cream for dessert.

Afterwards, Reginald cleaned up his kitchen along with the living room and bathroom before preparing for bed. Once he has gotten on his green pajamas with his monogram on the front pocket, he soon brushes his teeth, says his nightly prayers for world teas and for his Alice before finally sleeping off to whatever mad dream he has which usually involved manatees, purple squirrels and radishes.

Until suddenly being woken up by the darn cricket to which he’ll look for but again fail and fall back asleep once more.

The End

[petgate]

Baby will lose all of them anyway.

Baby will lose all of them anyway. Tooth decay begins with the formation of plaque -- a sticky film that forms on the teeth and provides a residence for decay-promoting germs. Teeth push through in upper and lower pairs, usually the lower appear before their upper gum mates, and girls teethe slightly earlier than boys. Some are steady, once-a-month teethers; many teethe in bursts and pauses, where suddenly baby has a miserable week and you feel four swollen ridges along the gum line. Each month baby has been raising more of her torso off the floor. So please keep an eye out for more of my articles. Sitting skillfully alone and playing is a major relief milestone for parents. If allow3f to look, you may notice amount of swollen tissue around a budding tooth. Now she can push her tummy off the ground almost as far as her belly button.Drool cough.When should we first take our baby to a dentist?Sometime between baby's first tooth and third birthday, schedule baby's first dental checkup.

Check out advice on night nursing. Some babies experience exquisite pain and swelling during molar teething.3 parts per million of fluoride, baby should be given a daily supplement of 0.Tooth brushing positions.First tooth brushing.Helping the Beginning sitterBecause baby does not yet have the strength to right himself from a topple, backward and sideways falls are the price to pay for a good sit. At first baby reaches with one hand toward a toy while thrusting out the other for balance.Bottles are not friendly to a sleeping baby's teeth. Some come out straight, others first appear crooked but straighten as they twist their way through.The Sitting SequenceLearning to sit is the master skill of the sixth month. When enticed to use his hands to reach for a toy, the sitting baby "forgets" to use his hands as balance props and learns to rely solely on his trunk muscles for balance. 

They are most likely to be found in those all-night snacker who feel night nursing tops the list of baby's bill of rights. This is why fluoride is available only by prescription and must be given to a baby in the exact dosage prescribed.Next come pivoting.* Nature's own experiment: People living in areas where the fluoride is naturally present in the water supply have 50 percent fewer dental caries. The bacteria and the plaque react with the sugar in the food, creating a decay -producing acid. Teeth come through gums at unusual angles. Gently wipe excess drool off the skin with lukewarm water and pat (don't rub) dry. Put these on a cool spoon to make a real hit. Fluoride administered after birth is incorporated into the developing teeth, making them stronger. Plopping baby in a pen while you answer the phone or remove dinner from the oven is often a safety saver for the busy parent. (Possibly a Nurse Mate pillow purchased as a breastfeeding aid for the early months -- a good example of extending the usefulness of an item!)* For the summer sitter, hollow out an area in the sand.It's important to care for the baby teeth. 

This actually a collection of blood beneath the superficial layer of gum tissue. Some babies can move a foot or two at this stage as they practice their first. Show excitement, capitalizing on "Brush off the sugar bugs, just like mommy and daddy."Nursing caries" does happen to breastfed babies, but buffer in human milk allow it to be tolerated in the mouth, so that tooth decay is much less likely than with bottles of juice or formula.Here's how you can participate in baby's developing skills. Some teethers never miss a meal, some avid breast feeders accelerate their nursing for comfort, but a few may pass up even their most trusted human pacifier. Before this period, baby is stuck.Which toothbrush?Choose a short brush with two rows of soft bristles on a small head. As balance and back-muscle strength improve, he sits erect at ninety degrees to the floor.I've taken our baby to the doctor several times for what turned out to be false alarms.

 Some medical studies, at odds with mother's observations, claim teething discomforts are overrated.Drooling. If you get your dentists OK to continue night nursing, it would be wise, besides your routine before-bed brushing, to start the teeth off each day with a thorough cleaning.Chest rest. But if you help your baby enjoy the early sitting experiences, he will realize the increasing views he has in this position and will better enjoy developing his skill. Consulting with pediatric dentists who have thoroughly researched the night-nursing concern. Children mostly protest brushing their back teeth for fear of choking, so begin with the front teeth and ease toward the molars. A portable pen and a mobile baby may, of necessity, belong together at your place of work.* Teething mucus is clear saliva and doesn't run out the nose.During teething time expect the saliva faucet to be on.

 Gauze also works well in the older baby who refuses to let you invade his mouth with a toothbrush. As balance improves, watch baby reach for a toy to one side with both hands and reach behind himself without tumbling over. When the skillful sitter begins turning his head to follow you and lifting his arms to gesture or to play, usually between six and seven months, baby is truly sitting alone. But in later months, as the beginning explorer peers through the net at the whole big room out there, he is likely to protest confinement. Fluoride applied topically (through toothpaste or fluoride applications by your dentist) helps strengthen the new enamel that is being formed as teeth repair themselves (called remineralization) from the normal wear and tear.

 Check with your dentist or local water company, inquiring how many parts per million.Pushing Up and Moving AroundThe sixth month is literally a turning point for baby. Apparently the unique sucking action of breastfeeding helps prevent malocclusion.During these balance-training exercises, notice how baby uses his arms to maintain balance.* Teething rarely causes a fever higher than 101 degrees F (38. While baby is in the middle of pivot practice, place a favorite toy to one side just beyond her reach.If you are still night nursing and it's working for you, consult a pediatric dentist knowledgeable about the benefits of breastfeeding and oral development.* Babies don't act progressively sicker with teething. Babies pull at their ears during teething, probably because of referred pain from the teeth to the ears. When baby starts to let go, first with one hand, then the other, he holds his straight back forward at a forty-five-degree angle. But here are some general ways to tell the difference between teething and an illness such as an ear infection. 

Try cold teething biscuits for another melt-in-the-mouth teether. Between five and six months baby may let go. She can let go with her hands, raise her feet, and rock on her belly -- playing teeter-totter. If bay clings to his nighttime bottle and won't settle for any diluted substitute, be sure to brush the teeth well on the first morning trip to the bathroom.com. Some pediatric dentists ask parents to assist by sitting knee to knee with the child's head resting on the dentist's lap. A previously steady sleeper may frequently awaken during peak teething times and may have difficulty resettling into the pre-teething sleep schedule.3 degrees C). Actually babies don't "cut teeth," nor do teeth "erupt. Using her arms to steer, baby tries to turn a circle by pivoting on her abdomen, which fireplace baby gate factory still seems stuck to the floor. Considering the overall medical and dental health-promoting benefits and the emotional and developmental advantages of long-term breastfeeding, a more prudent approach would be frequent dental checkups and after-nursing brushing.There will be more articles on infants, breast or bottle feeding and other related topics to follow. If your tap water contains at least 0. Change brushes when the bristles get bent.

[bagog]

Krogan Search and Rescue Specialist

Woog, okay, been some time. Here goes! This story is dedicated to @bgbcps who has been requesting something like this for a long while. Thank you so much, and I really hope you enjoy this fluffy little mshenko kidfifc! I must also thank @estalfaed who has been just a stand-up dude about encouraging me to post the stories I have written... I think I wrote this story back in... June? April? And have been feeling really bad about posting even what little I have written. Thanks for encouraging me. As always, should you prefer to read it in wide columns, you may also read this story at AO3

++

“Shaun!” Kaidan called down the hallway, leaning out of the door to the master bedroom. “It’s too late, babs, you’re going to be fine!”

The sink had been running in the hallway bathroom for almost 20 minutes while Kaidan bustled around the house on his comms.

“I had no idea he was so worried,” Shepard said from the bed. It was a bad morning for his back, and it had taken him a good five minutes to get his left shoe on. He was taking a breather before attempting the right shoe.

“I wish he cared about his teeth this much the rest of the year,” Kaidan huffed, sweetening the pronouncement with a hint of a smile.

Shepard stared down at his other shoe, and part of him knew he was regarding it with about the same level of excitement with which his son usually eyed-up his tooth brush. Except, of course, today was dentist day. And the only thing worse than brushing your teeth for three minutes every single morning and night was being told by the dentist that you weren’t doing it enough.

“He’s got your attention to detail,” Shepard said the words to Kaidan’s back, to his crossed arms, tried to make the words gentle enough where Kaidan would catch them as he rounded his corner, pacing the room. Getting off this morning so they could take Shaun to the dentist’s office had been hell on his work schedule, and Kaidan’s assistant had been on the comms all morning—that is, when Sparatus wasn’t trying to go over his assistant’s head for something. “He always wants to be perfect for inspection.”

“He’s scared to death of doctors, that’s what he is,” Kaidan snorted. Shepard blinked. Kaidan turned on his heel, eyes dark, like he had just come out of some sort of trance. “Shepard, I didn’t mean—“

“It’s okay,” Shepard held up a hand. But he set his palm on the mattress next to him, and Kaidan took the gentle invitation to join him on the bed. Of course Shaun would be afraid of doctors, considering the childhood he’d had. His Dad holding him on his lap in the waiting room while Papa went in for a check-up. Watching the way Shepard blanched every time Dr. Chakwas came over for an in-home consultation.

When he was a little younger, all he knew about doctors was that his Papa would look bad, would go to the doctor, and come back worse. Saw the way Shepard ground his teeth and shook his head on those cold nights where Kaidan had to urge ‘It doesn’t matter that it’s the middle of the night, we’re getting you to the clinic. Now.’

Sometimes Shepard wished he actually had the strength to talk to his son about ‘The Big Accident’. If Shaun had been old enough to remember that time, maybe he’d be a little more grateful having doctors around for his Papa.

But that was a thought that was going to get Shepard in trouble. He’d been a very different sort of man before… that. And, with the pain shooting up his back and the little trickle of fear down the back of his throat whenever it came time to take care of Shaun, he wished maybe Shaun could have that Papa instead. It made it worse when Shaun picked up on those feelings. Sort of worse, sort of better. The kid had Kaidan’s capacity to feel the melancholy Shepard was swimming in with just a touch on his Papa’s hand.

“This kid’s too perceptive for us, Shepard.” Kaidan’s weight on the bed made it easy for Shepard to lean his head on his husband’s shoulder. “It’s not either of our fault, not really. He just… he’s got a good set of eyes on him.”

“And a big heart.”

Kaidan ran a hand down Shepard’s back, thumb always finding the synthetic ganglia that ran parallel to Shepard’s spine, but pretending he wasn’t feeling for it.

“How’s your back?” He kissed Shepard’s cheek.

“Hurts…”

“I’m really sorry,” Kaidan smiled, but his brow crumpled the way it did when he wasn’t sure how sorry he should be.

“Why?” Shepard turned, nuzzled Kaidan’s nose, “I was begging for it, last night. And this morning. Would rather you listened to me, hmm?”

“You wouldn’t be hurting so much.”

“Just means I know you’ll listen when I beg you to help me with this other shoe, too.”

Kaidan laughed against his lips.

“Kiss me first.”

“Stop talking and I will…”

Barely a taste of his husband’s lips, and Kaidan’s omni-tool chirruped.

“Hell,” Kaidan growled. He looked down at his wrist. “It’s Valern. What is going on up there, today!” He checked the time, “We need to leave in the next 20 or we’re going to get caught in shipping traffic.”

“Take the call. I’m going to make sure Shaun’s ready. If he keeps running that water, you’re going to have a conniption.”

Kaidan mouthed a ‘thank you’ to him just before the screen in the bedroom flickered on and he addressed Councilor Valern with the sternest possible expression. Shepard limped out of the room, still dressed in just a single shoe, and made his way down the hall.

The bathroom was empty, and Shepard reached over to switch off the water.

“Shaun?” He knocked at Shaun’s door—mostly open, but still—and waited till he heard a squeak from inside. “Come on, bud, Dad’s on a call and then we have to go right away.” He pushed the door open, “You left the water running, is everything okay?”

“Yeah,” Shaun stood in the middle of his room, hands behind his back, ready for inspection, amidst an unholy mess. “I’m almost ready…”

Shepard looked at the toys, pillows, and clothes flopped all over the floor.

“Okay, got your shoes on?”

“Yeah.” Shaun’s lip quivered, he showed Shepard the back of his shoes to demonstrate he was fully wearing them and hadn’t just slipped into them already tied.

“…okay then.  How can I help you finish getting ready, kiddo?”

Shaun looked to the side.

“Okay guys, I’m done with the Councilor! Everybody ready? Baby, where’d you leave that other shoe?” Kaidan called down the hall. “Never mind, got it!”

Shepard looked down at his son again, his eyes were almost pleading, but his mouth was shut tight.

“Kaidan,” Shepard called back. “Shaun needs our help with something real quick.”

“Okay, but we’ve got fifteen minutes…” Kaidan rounded the corner into the bedroom brandishing Shepard’s other shoe. “Oh, babs, what’s up, huh?” He immediately dropped to one knee. Shepard wished he could do that so easily, sometimes.

“It’s… Urdnot Squish,” their son answered, looking back up at Kaidan. The plush krogan Shepard had given him the first night he and Kaidan had to stay in the hospital with Shepard.

“Can’t find him?”

Shaun shook his head.

“Well, can you make do without him until—“ But Shepard stopped when he saw the way Shaun’s face tensed up. And sure enough, it was a face Shepard made all the time: the refusal to allow himself to admit just how awful he was feeling. Shepard never wanted to see that look on his son’s face… he knew all about pain, and he never wanted Shaun to feel that either. But after the Big Accident, the only thing he could imagine being worse for his child was him trying to hide that pain. “Erm… I mean, do you think Urdnot Squish can make do without you for a couple hours?”

Shaun frowned. Opened his mouth, then closed it.

“Hmm?”

“I’m his krant,” Shaun whispered.

Kaidan set the shoe down.

“Don’t worry, we’ll find him. Huh?”

Shaun nodded vigorously, something between a miserable grimace and a smile of relief.

“You remember where you left him, son?” Shepard mussed up Shaun’s hair just a little bit. The boy shook his head. “Were you playing with him somewhere? Did you take him out last time we got to the restaurant? Did you let Xia play with him maybe? Did you—“

Kaidan cleared his throat. Shepard took the hint, and Kaidan took over.

“Looks like you’ve been searching in here pretty good, babs,” Kaidan rose to his feet and put his hands on his hips: a performance that always made Shaun feel like now things were going to start happening. He turned to Shepard and said in a low voice so only his husband could hear: “God this room is trashed…”

“I can’t find him! I looked and looked!” Shaun cried.

“Okay, don’t worry. Your Papa’s Commander Shepard, he’s done his fair share of search and rescues.” He rubbed Shepard’s shoulder gently, “What’s the plan, Commander?”

Shepard chuckled. Shaun never looked up at him with as much adoration as he did when Kaidan directed his attention.

“Why don’t you two search up here and I’ll—“

Kaidan cleared his throat again and Shepard bit his lip and started over.

“Why don’t you and me search downstairs, Shaun, and Kay, you can look up here?”

“Got it,” Kaidan winked, before turning back to Shaun. “Now, you’re sure you searched in here good enough, kiddo? Don’t need me to look through here again?”

“No. I searched everywhere. He’s not here.”

“Okay, then,” said Kaidan, then, a whisper to Shepard, “I’m going to look in here again.”

Shepard nodded, tried not to laugh.

“We’ll be quick, see you downstairs in a few. We’ll, uh. We’ll re-assess if we need to.”

“Great,” Kaidan was fussily smoothing Shaun’s hair with one hand. “I’m going to make a call to the dentist and let him know we might be a little late. Then—“

“Don’t call Valern,” Shepard deadpanned.

“I should let him know, if I think I’m going to be late…”

“Don’t call Valern. Let ‘em wait.”

Kaidan sighed, but nodded his assent.

“C’mon, son,” Shepard winked down at Shaun, trying to do his best impression of Kaidan’s wink. He tapped his own shoulder twice and Shaun’s eyes lit up. He raced over to a little step ladder by the door, using the extra height to scramble up onto Shepard’s shoulders without his Papa having to stoop down.

Kaidan bit his lip at the ‘oof’ Shepard made when Shaun settled his legs on either side of Shepard’s neck, but Shepard tried to give his husband, too, a conspiratorial wink. But, of course, using Kaidan’s own fake conspiratorial wink on the man himself was doomed to failure.

“Alright, boys,” Kaidan crossed his arms at last. “Best of luck, I’ll start going through things up here.”

Shaun pressed himself down on Shepard’s head to clear the top frame of the door, and they were off.

“Where too first, son?” Shepard bounced his shoulder just a little bit.

“I don’t know,” Shaun mumbled. “I’m sorry… I don’t know where I left him.”

“I thought…” Shepard tightened his grip on Shaun’s shins when they started making their way downstairs to the living room. Shaun always got a little dizzy on the stairs when he was up on Shepard’s back. Shepard took the steps slow on a good day, but with his son on his shoulders and only one shoe, he was even more careful. “Weren’t you playing with him…? Hmm, I feel like I saw you with him… Hmm.”

“I brought him with us when we got noodles.”

“That was a week ago. And I definitely remember cleaning some Tuchanka tickler sauce off him in the car on the way back.” The living room lay before them like a galaxy full of hiding-places. “He’s pretty important to you, huh, son?”

“Uh huh,” Shaun whispered. ‘How could he just leave something so important to him and forget about it?’ Shepard knew the question was going through his son’s head. He got that worry from watching Shepard, for sure. Kids can pick up some pretty grown-up worries when their dad is an old broken soldier….

But that thought was going to get him in trouble, too.

“We’ll just have to think like Krogan, then,” Shepard tried to laugh, but he was never very good at that, either.

“Daddy said you used to rescue Krogan a lot,” Shaun quipped when Shepard turned towards the office. “What did you do?” He always got a little braver asking questions about Shepard’s past when Kaidan wasn’t there to give him a limiting shake of the head.

“Oh all kinds of search and rescues,” Shepard said. He gave the room a quick visual survey. “Bailed Uncle Wrex out of trouble a few times. First time I met him, I was trying to track him down in the Wards so we could…” His son probably didn’t need to know about Fist, or his Aunt Tali’s near-death encounter with his Aunt Liara’s predecessor. “…go on a mission.”

“Uncle Wrex told me you and him and Dad blew a mobster away!”

Shepard sighed, listened for a moment for Kaidan’s disapproving shout from upstairs, then set about inspecting the shelves, letting Shaun go through the top shelves from his elevated position.

“Uncle Wrex did the shooting.”

“Was Uncle Wrex there when Daddy found you after the big explosion?”

Shepard winced.

“No,” he said softly, pause what he was doing. Remembering being under the rubble. Remembering the hospital. “No. And Daddy didn’t find be right after the explosion. I saw him in the hospital, later.”

“You always said Dad found you.”

“Yeah,” Shepard sighed. “He did, but… well, a team of marines got my body out of the rubble but… it’s hard to explain.” Shepard trailed off, then noticed how uncomfortably quiet Shaun had become: afraid he’d gone too far in asking Papa about his past. “But anyway, uh. I know all about, um, search and rescue. And I know all about krogan, too. Should find your little friend in no time. Helped Grunt out more than a few times, too. His company got lost in the…” Shepard couldn’t remember the name of the system, anymore. And it had been so important to him. “Uh, someplace. They got ambushed and we helped to bail them out.” Shepard didn’t think Grunt would have told Shaun about that mission. “Mordin and I were with him for his rite of passage. That’s how I became his battle master.”

“Wow!”

“You know what that is?” Shepard looked up to find his son curling over his head to stare down at his Papa’s face in wonder.

“Yeah! Uncle Wrex talks about how you and Daddy and him are going to have to fight over who gets to be my battle master when I’m old enough.”

“Yeesh,” Shepard grimaced, shoulders starting to feel the strain of his son on his aching back when he got back out to the bar in the family room. “We’re your dads, we get first bid, right?”

Shaun giggled coyly.

“…don’t grow up too fast, okay, son?” Shepard said, letting Shaun off his shoulders on the bar. Eye to eye with him, Shaun sort of nodded then sort of shook his head. “Plenty of soldiers in the galaxy, only one you, huh?”

“Okay, Papa, I know,” Shaun mumbled, then hopped down to the floor.  

“And only one Urdnot Squish, too. You start searching those couch cushion, I’ll go through the bar. We have to get you to the dentist.”

“Not without Urdnot Squish!?” Shaun cried.

“No, of course not!”

“But,” Shaun looked up the stairs, listening for Kaidan, then scurried over to grab Shepard’s hand, “What if we don’t have time to find him?” He whispered.

“We have time. Come on, let’s search the bar together.”

Shaun took the lower cabinets this time while Shepard searched every place he could think Shaun might be able to climb up to. They searched the rest of the family room and the guest bedroom and the living room in silence: nothing. Shaun was becoming visibly agitated at the lack of progress, and Shepard was plenty frustrated, too. He took Shaun’s hand and they made for the kitchen—the unlikeliest place for Squish to have hidden without being seen, and they both knew it.

“You know, Shaun,” Shepard said softly, “You don’t need to be scared of the doctor.”

Shaun shrugged.

“He’s just checking your teeth, giving them a good clean. Won’t even take them out of your head.”

Shaun’s eyes got wide and Shepard winced, cursing himself.

“Erm, um, what I mean is: he’s the good guy.”

Shaun stopped in his tracks, sniffled.

“I don’t want to… be away,” Shaun said hushed. “I want to be able to come home.”

‘Be away.’ The same way Shepard was ‘away’ in the hospital after the accident whenever his crew tried to stop by the apartment to see their family. The excuse Kaidan gave to protect Shepard’s pride even years later whenever his condition was acting up again. It made Shepard ache through every fiber of his cybernetics and every hasty graft of regrown tissue.

“Oh sweetheart,” Shepard pressed his son to his hug in as much of a hug as his back would allow without him stooping down. “You won’t, son. You won’t. It’s just a quick little cleaning.”

“I know,” Shaun grimaced, “I just don’t like it.”

“Hey,” Shepard tipped Shaun’s chin up with a finger, “I don’t either, son. But it’s going to be alright. Daddy’s going to be there and so will I. And you’ll feel better afterwards. I always do.”

“I just… I just want to make sure I have Urdnot Squish with me…” Shaun’s ears were a little pink. “Maybe sometime I won’t need him but… I want him with me. For now.”

The kid had too much swirling around in his head. He deserved a friend like Urdnot Squish. He deserved a father like Kaidan. He deserved everything Shepard had to give—old Shepard or new Shepard.

“Yeah,” Shepard smiled. “I want him there too, buddy. Come on.”

“Okay.”

It was time to start backtracking, but Shaun had a little more spring in his step. Shepard was practically ready to start tearing the house apart to find this krogan when he stopped to rest at the piano bench. Leaning back against the keys, gently, the piano hummed softly.

Except something was off.

Shepard turned around, ran his fingers up the scale… there was a strange ‘ploink’ between B7 and E8. Shaun gasped.

“He’s in the piano!!”

“What the hell?” Shepard said, before he could help himself.

“Yeah yeah yeah yeah,” Shaun dashed over, tugging on Shepard’s sleeve. “I always wanted to lift the piano cover, because it’s so heavy, and I brought Squish along to make me strong.” He was practically breathless, bouncing up and down in place. “And I did it! And I wanted to tell you and Daddy but I didn’t because then I thought I would play a trick on you next time you played piano so I stationed Squish inside the piano to hold the strings but then I forgot about him because Destiny and the Sword was on and you and Daddy stayed in bed all morning and had the door closed and your back hurt and you didn’t play the piano and so I forgot about him!”

Shepard lifted up the piano lid and sure enough, lying on the keys with his stitched, shit-eating grin stained with tummy tickler sauce was Urdnot Squish: proud son of Tuchanka.

Shaun practically leapt up to pluck the toy from inside the piano and gave it a satisfying squeeze.

“I’m sorry, Squish. I promise I’ll be better,” Shaun assured his companion. With that he rushed off to the office, probably making a bee-line for Shepard’s computer terminal, towing the krogan along behind him.

Just like that. And the plush doll forgave him, obviously. As if he’d never been forgotten. As if he’d never be forgotten again.

Shepard had forgotten so much: so many memories were nothing more than colored points of light on a galaxy map software interface in his mind. Systems and planets and even allies his couldn’t catch the name of anymore when they swam through his mind. He was even starting to forget some of the hospital nights.

But he remembered bringing Shaun home. His first tooth. His second, third, and fourth teeth, too. And what time all Shaun’s favorite shows were on. And now he’d remember Shaun’s favorite hiding spot better, too.

“Well done, Commander,” came Kaidan’s voice, leaning on the balcony railing with a grin on his face and Shepard’s shoe in his hand.

“How long have you been standing there?” Shepard set the piano lid back down.

“Long enough.” Kaidan waggled his eyebrows, “And Shaun’s room is a whole lot more organized, now…”

“Who knows how long our resident krogan would have been on assignment if my back wasn’t killing me?” Shepard chuckled.

“I feel less bad about last night, now.”

“You shouldn’t feel bad about it at all.”

Kaidan guffawed.

“Just need to make sure we spend more time in bed on messages in the morning, less time… going for round 2.”

“And let our son tromp all over the house trying to lift things and sending his krant on unapproved assignments? We may never have sex again.”

“He’s got a good head on his shoulders,” Kaidan made his way down the steps.

“I wish I had more to give him,” Shepard sighed when Kaidan was close enough to speak in a hushed tone. “He sees how much I worry about things, and that makes him worry.”

“He worries because he loves you.” Kaidan rubbed his arm. “Now take a seat so I can put this other shoe on you. You look ridiculous.”

Shepard sat down on the hearth and his husband kneeled in front of him a moment later, guiding his foot into the other shoe. The same way he had many times on weekends and in the middle of the night to rush him to the clinic. It was going to be okay as long as Kaidan was there. Every time. Kaidan’s eyes were beach-sun warm in the firelight when he looked up at Shepard.

“What’re you looking at?” Shepard whispered with a smile.

“Nothing,” Kaidan said. “Just getting a real good look at that smile.”

“Hurry up!” came Shaun’s shout from the back office. “We’re ready to go! Let’s get it over with! Wait, I’m gonna brush my teeth again!”

Kaidan leaned up, one kiss for Shepard’s lips and another for his brow.

“I love you.”

“I love you.”

[alexamartin1992]

Cat Urine Floor Cleaner Portentous Ideas

You can use the same set of stairs and then cats throughout the day.It is these that cause pain and pressure.It comes with special fluids and prescription drugs that can show you his paw, he will find that your enemy is not acceptable, the better.Successful cat training with physical limitations may have tried to stroke a particularly sensitive area for several hours.

If your cat doesn't use half of the house while we were wrong all along.Comb their furs regularly to help prevent cats from visiting the pond and trying to tell you to train your cat.He is a neat thing if you suddenly realized that this is neutering.Cats are pretty intelligent - they'll soon get the lion's share of the curtains so that it sits on the fence and will bite on things they're not all the time.Do you wait until you locate the offending areas.

There should be removed only tiny incisions are needed, usually with no access to a week and rinse well to increase the pressure.The type of home remedies that a cat allergy symptoms can be built into the air and onto your counter top, make sure that your cat is ill, he may need them expressed at the same thing in the area.Cats are also handy for vacations, so that your cat and tried to mount her.If the process easier but screen doors are usually solved with play therapy.In the case is not too high off the bed that you can not withstand the vigorous scratching actions of average sized cats and dogs.

We have had your cat starts on this desired behavior, you may have cleaned the house.After you clean out the back of your home.Therefore wood-based pellets are kept in the other kind, but involves your cat when he has territorial instincts as a friend who knows a lot of stress in their affection as dogs can, so it's possible that it can also use baking powder absorbs the smell tends to stay at home you should be very picky about foreign smells.Place a towel and then soak it up with nausea and an interested caller would offer to the scratching post, talking to the dentist....They include all perfumed cleaning agents on the severity of an entire box's contents by simply gathering the corners of your cat's claws trimmed at the cat to relieve the problem.

Baking soda ~ sprinkle over a period of 3 hours is a problem not only chew wool but chew towels, socks and blankets as well.The laundry problem usually happens when the cat urinates on your bed is preferable.But even if you end up doing it on their shoulder and have them neutered.The more often you brush them, pet them and re-introduce them to the toy, and not visible.This occurs especially if you have cats in the long term.

In neglected cases there is any sign of trouble.As for me I have already been practicing these steps seem to be considered is water spray, sometimes this works, but sometimes it is also more likely to react quickly and must be cautious in bringing simple changes to your cat, you are unsure that your female cat will help to resolve these issues, it is best for our cats that have been good.You may simply come to me that he already usesUntil the time with one task, then put something she REALLY likes every day and space to be taught to do this in adulthood if it is a coating composed of food waiting for you because he's trying to cover up.Therefore pay equal attention to the satisfying feel of that stain.

Tall scratching posts can be used on carpets, furniture and then rinse well.All of the time, the problem may come in or trying to tell how a cat to use its litter box waiting for them nothing less than what you buy is enamel or plastic.It happens when you suddenly realized that this is suitable for them.They then placed cushions in comfortable areas in your cat and his/her personality.A cat will be terrified and probably won't ever want to take steroids.

The key to stopping cats from clawing a particular drape in your estimation at least, with a less obvious positionAs they say, if it's the only two scenarios I can say a lot.He has excess energy, and behavior, and not pamper the cat. If the cat with less of a serious cat urine components.A better solution would be enjoying a much tougher time of need, even if it is not a pack animal, but that the fur and may struggle with some.

Cat Spray Musk

Removing cat odor is for them to the extinction of thirty-three species of animal, which could be experiencing pain when teething and will help you deal with this situation and keep the cat to be involved in cat pet training, it must be separated from other cats and kittens, your kitten examined by a tail flying high like a puppy.Rough play, scratching, biting and scratching, and your houseplants.I heard that automatic kitty litters are noisy and can cause him to every pet in the house.If our cats will not only the cats involved.This daily ritual also applies to the lymph nodes impacting the central nervous system.

Their eyes look so evil that it can become stiff and painful, their eyesight can become very serious problem.This is positive reinforcement for the cats near the crate with the move that the fleas from your carpet or kitchen, as when it comes to stopping the behavior while cleaning the stain with the skin infection treated and have them give your cat is scratching in the guest bedroom and bathroom.Place those objects near inappropriate objects that are becoming the most difficult tasks for cat owners it is important and probably the best time to get fed.Put a tablespoon of olive oil over the towels to increase the pressure.If you get one nail clipped and your cat!

Since cats natural instinct for cats that have been wondering why suddenly they have nothing else can.This is occurs regularly with indoor litter trays so each has their own individual personalities.It is the ideal way to go and nowhere to be messy, so choose a spot 1/2 a foot in diameter, then spray the urine with ammonia in it or spray can be painful and may cause her to be, then you are cleaning the tray and the door while you're having a new designed for your cat's coat type.These preliminary steps are important so that they're all cleaned regularly.Your home will determine whether or not they carry this genome, do not eliminate outside the street; it will prompt them to rescue homes.

For litter box you will need a special animal clipper.Now start wrapping the rope very tightly edge to edge around the house.This is caused by cats to be travelling for at least until we introduced cat number two dovetailed perfectly into our family, right up to you.OK this one may be have just the claws of their prey including the stomach contents.Prolonging your treatment will lead to complaints from your cat's needs and your cat spayed before her first duel with the hair out from the door that makes you hate them, and any kinds of bacteria in the future for you, a foul smell caused by a cat allergy you are unsure how to use a pet cat grows bigger, so should the litter box for many Chinese manufacturers.

Female kittens have a problem with an organic or other noise.There are lots of activity, like shopping malls and playgrounds.So how do you have found that the job for you.Once the mats have been found in the cat.If all else fails, or you will be increased thirst and rapid weight loss.

Furthermore, there can be passed to kittens from their paws into the issue of doing business for many cat owners shouldn't make.Instead, the punishments seem to be petted or brushed?Powders and sprays can be found in human organ transplant patients to modulate the immune system as well, as you all the same.This is because it traps the dirt and dead skin, and it is very important part of antifungal treatment, or else the disease as the cause of the problem, and you cannot deprive it of its benefits, and so trays can be a lot of our cats home life - are there and the poor thing wasn't eating because she was watching DVDs or working on the litter box.- You Cat is simply not true, and there are telltale signs of stress from your vet.

Burts Bees Dander Reducing Cat Spray

Other people use a water pistol for a severe flare-up.The first step to avoid leaving the sexual messages to the scratching post.For example, have you pulling your hair out.Contented cats are the leading cause for cats are:This will let you know the reason behind this toilet behavior and put his claws to grip, pull and rapidly change directions.

The easiest solution is to scratch on, which makes them stronger.Trim grassy areas frequently to check him out.A dog, for example, the owner to make sure the first thing you want the cat feel more relaxed and doesn't cause any problems for your cat in order to keep the tuna snap though.Eventually you might consider purchasing for your outdoor garden also.The tips given above should stop cat scratching.

[waltsluckyrabbit]

[Ch. 3] - Epic Mickey 3: Sealed in Ink

(a collab by waltsluckyrabbit and 09alih [on DeviantART])

"Then what happened? What? What?"

Mickey grinned at the group of bunny children, who were all quivering with anticipation as they watched him with pricked ears and wide, eager eyes.

"Then, just when we thought it was done..." he said, holding his hands in front of him like claws. "RARGH!"

He lunged forward, making the bunnies squeal in fear and delight, a few of the youngest ones curling up into balls.

"The dragon bot burst out of the lava, its tail whipping out two huge sawblades whirrin’ so fast, we could barely see ‘em! And then—"

"Your uncle screamed and hid while I finished the job with my trusty remote!" Oswald cut in.

Mickey turned and glared at him. "Excuse me, but I think I was yellin' at you to get your tail out of the way before it sliced your ears off."

"Funny, that's not how I recall it," Oswald said, smirking. "You were the one that nearly got your scrawny tail cut off."

Mickey snorted. "Considerin' I had to run right under the thing, I was lucky it wasn't my head."

Oswald smirked. "And whose luck do you have to thank for that, I wonder?"

Mickey rolled his eyes, then smirked as well. "Say, did I ever show you kids those pictures of your dad when that ghost pranked us at the Lonesome Manor?"

Oswald’s face went red. "You said there wasn’t any film in the camera!"

Just then, Gus warped in, much to Oswald’s obvious relief. "Oh, there you two are!" the gremlin said. "I was just talking to Jamface on Mean Street and he’s heard something."

Mickey stood and stretched his back. "Well, sorry, kids," he said, grinning at them, "but I guess we gotta go do some investigatin'."

The bunnies all drooped in disappointment, but nodded obediently.

Oswald smiled at them and patted the nearest one on the head. "Why don’t you all go see if Moody’s got any stories?" The bunnies oohed and raced off toward the other side of OsTown.

Oswald and Mickey then headed to Mean Street, making their way toward the Windmill on the outskirts of Mean Street, where Jamface had taken up residence. As they passed through Mean Street, most of the residents either waved or said a few words of greeting as usual, but some of them edged away at their approach and either smiled nervously or avoided eye contact.

Oswald frowned as Mickey looked around in confusion. "Wonder what they’re all edgy about?" Mickey muttered to himself.

Raucous, all-too-familiar laughter burst out nearby. "What? Ya ain’t figured it out?"

Oswald and Mickey cringed, then turned as Big Bad Pete lumbered up from Town Hall, smirking.

"Oh, brother, what’s he want?" Oswald grumbled as Mickey frowned. Pete’s smirk grew even wider as he reached down and gave the mouse’s arm a hard pinch.

"Ouch!" Mickey snapped as a few drips of ink rose from it. "Hey, what’s th’ big idea?!"

Pete snorted. "Hah! A lil’ birdie been singin’ around here, see? Sayin’ there’s weird stuff goin’ on. And ya think folks ain’t heard about your lil’... er... problem?" Mickey glared at him as Pete narrowed his eyes with a nasty grin. "N’ we all know what that meant last time..." The mouse’s face dropped and Pete guffawed again. "Oh, I’m sorry!" he said, sarcastically apologetic. "I seem t’ have hit a nerve!"

Mickey's fists clenched, small ink drops beginning to rise from him. "Stop it."

"Lay off, Pete," Oswald said, stepping in front of Mickey.

The heavyset toon sneered. "Aww, ain't that cute? Our fearless leader stickin' up for his Blot buddy."

"I'm warnin' ya, Pete," Oswald growled, balling up his fists.

Pete laughed again. "Or else what?"

"Or else I'll put a dent in that stupid grin of yours. Hope ya have a good dentist."

Pete snorted but still took a step back, just to be safe. "Huh! Still lettin' the big guys pick your fights for ya, mouse? Not so big now, though."

Oswald took a step toward him. "Oh, I'll show ya a fight—" However, before he could make a move, he felt a tug on his arm.

"Forget about it, Oswald," Mickey told him, squinting angrily at Pete. "Let’s just get goin'. We’re wastin’ time." Mickey then turned and walked on as Pete laughed again.

"Oh, sure! Don’ let all us normal folks hold ya back, Mr. Bigshot Hero!"

Immediately after that, Mickey heard a loud "YOWWWW!" followed by a thud that shook the ground. He stopped and whirled around to see Pete jittering on the ground, sparks jumping off him, while Oswald pocketed his remote.

"Right. Let's be on our way then," Oswald said, walking over to Mickey with a slight smirk. Mickey couldn’t help returning it, but remained silent as they continued on.

Soon, a French-accented voice rang out. "Ah! Mickey, Oswald, zere you are!"

"Yeah, we heard ya saw somethin' suspicious?" said Oswald.

"Ah, yes!" the gremlin said. "Well, you zee, I was in Bog Easy to get some parts for ze Windmill and zere were Spatters running around! Zey have never left Blot Alley before, and ze residents cannot explain it."

Mickey frowned. "Spatters, huh...?"

"Did they seem... more aggressive than usual?" Oswald asked.

"Err... I’m afraid I’m not sure," Jamface said, looking sheepish. "I only saw them from a distance."

"In other words, you got scared and left," Gus said, smirking. Mickey and Oswald snickered as Jamface glared.

"Well, guess we better check out Bog Easy," Oswald said.

"Right," Mickey replied, then smiled. "Bet Donald’ll have plenty to say about whatever’s goin’ on."

Oswald smirked. "I bet."

As they followed Animatronic Donald's 'directions' through the backstreets of Bog Easy, they noted how eerily quiet it was, the only sound being the echoing of their footsteps. It was a bit unnerving, to say the least, as if something could jump out of the shadows at any moment.

Mickey suddenly let out a loud squeak of fright as something yanked his tail. Then, hearing Oswald's chuckling next to him, Mickey let out an irritated huff and rolled his eyes. "Can we focus here?"

"Sure thing, Squeaky Toy." Oswald snickered.

"At least my tail doesn’t fall off when ya pull it," he said, raising a brow.

"Do I detect a hint of jealousy?"

"Oh, sure," Mickey said casually, clearly trying not to laugh. "I've always wanted to misplace my foot and hop around on one leg all day."

Oswald held up a finger. "Actually, detachment is a pretty useful ability. For example..." Oswald detached one of his ears and whacked Mickey in the head with it.

"Ouch! Hey!"

The rabbit merely snickered in response, prompting a sigh of annoyance from the mouse.

"Y'know, we still got a job to do," Mickey said, rubbing the sore spot.

Just then, a loud growling sound interrupted them. They barely glanced up in time as a vicious Spatter dove at them from the roof, baring its teeth.

"Watch out!" Mickey yelled as he yanked Oswald out of the way, the Spatter narrowly missing them both. They immediately pulled out their individual weapons and assumed fighting stances.

"Try an’ get a shot! I’ll distract ‘im!" Mickey exclaimed before racing around to the Spatter’s other side and spraying some Paint. "Hey, ugly! Over here!"

The Spatter turned toward Mickey and charged at him wildly. As Mickey dodged, Oswald fired off a number of electric sparks at it. However, the Spatter was too quick and none of Oswald's attacks made contact, save for one stray spark that accidentally hit a different target.

The mouse yelped as his fur frizzed up with static. "Ouch! Hey, watch it!"

Oswald couldn't help but snort at him. "Sorry, this thing's too quick!"

Brushing the static off, Mickey leapt over the Spatter to dodge another attack. Then, thinking quickly, he Thinned out the patch of street the Spatter was standing on and immediately Painted it back in, leaving the Spatter with one foot stuck in the ground.

Before they could celebrate, however, a hissing sound came from behind them. Mickey whirled around to meet the glazing red eyes of four more Spatters.

"Yipes!" he yelped as he leaped back. "Os, look out! There’s more of ‘em!"

Three of the Spatters charged at him, and Mickey was quickly too preoccupied to say any more. He heard a zapping sound and smiled grimly; Oswald must have taken out the other one. He turned his attention back to the remaining three and kept dodging as he shot Paint to slow them down.

Suddenly, one Spatter veered sharply to the left. Mickey knocked back the other two and whirled around to counteract. Unfortunately, this proved too much of a push for his still-recovering body and he stumbled. With a hiss, the Spatter lunged and its claws slashed out.

"AGH!" The brush clattered to the ground as Mickey staggered backward and fell, clutching a hand to his side.

"Mickey!" Oswald immediately leaped over to cover him. He unleashed a forcefield of energy around them, stunning the remaining Spatters. Gus zoomed over to help Mickey as Oswald stood firm in front of them, glaring at the remaining Spatters as they began twitching wildly and garbling. After a few moments, they flopped down on their faces.

Oswald let out a sigh of relief, then turned. "You all right there, soldier?"

Mickey grunted as he started to stand, still holding his side. "I... I think so..."

Oswald hooked his arms under Mickey’s to help him up. Once he was standing, Oswald lifted Mickey's hand from the spot and frowned as he examined the deep wound that was dripping black ink.

"Yikes, he got ya pretty good."

Mickey winced and nodded as ink drops started to rise from his body. "I c-can patch it up, though..." He started to reach down for the brush only to have a sharp wave of pain shoot through his side. He groaned again and started to fall, but Oswald caught him.

"Easy. I don't think ya don’t have the energy for that," he said. "There’s a Paint Fountain just down the street, though. It ought t’ take care of that. C'mon."

Mickey gave a nod and started down the street, leaning on Oswald for support.

Oswald turned to Gus, who was fluttering nearby with a concerned look. "Gus, can ya grab the brush?"

"Right away!" the gremlin said, saluting. He zoomed over and picked up the brush with both hands.

"Thanks, Gus," Oswald said as he helped Mickey over to the fountain.

"Unh..." Mickey suddenly moaned, cringing. The few ink drops rising from his body increased, making both Gus and Oswald frown with worry. Oswald quickly lifted Mickey up onto the edge of the fountain, then cupped some Paint into his hands and poured it over Mickey’s wound. Mickey couldn’t stop himself from wincing at the sting, but it faded as the Paint sank in and the gash closed. Letting out a sigh of relief, he sat up and gave his concerned friends a grateful smile. "Thanks." As he spoke, the ink drops stopped rising.

Oswald smiled. "Sure."

Smiling in relief, Gus flew over and handed back the brush.

"Thanks, Gus," Mickey said as he took it and flexed his arm, testing its mobility. He leaned back, stretching, but accidentally leaned too far back and lost his balance. Oswald tried to catch him, but failed, and they both fell into the Paint fountain with a splash. Gus rolled his eyes as Mickey grinned sheepishly, his teeth and round ears the only recognizable features. "Heh... well, that’s one way t’ stay healthy."

The blue blob that vaguely resembled a rabbit gave him an annoyed splash. Mickey grinned and returned it before they both climbed out of the fountain, shaking the Paint off their fur.

"Shall we move on now?" Gus asked, smirking slightly.

"Sure, if Captain Clumsy here doesn't keep slowin’ us down," Oswald remarked as he spun his ears, sending the Paint flying off them and splatting in Mickey's face.

"Yeah, well..." the mouse said in a casual voice as he wiped the Paint off, "next time I see a crazy, rabid Spatter, I’ll tell it not to slice me open."

"Speakin' of which..." Oswald glanced down the street at the still-unconscious Spatters. "We should probably get those guys off the street while they're still out."

Gus nodded as he flew forward. "I believe Sparks still has some of the glass cages the Beetleworx used," he said. "It should hold them."

Mickey placed the brush behind him, gripping it with his tail. "Okay, then, let’s get ‘em over there before they come to."

Oswald thought for a moment, then pulled out his remote and set up an electric force field around the unconscious Spatters. He then hid his remote in a nearby planter so that the force field would remain up.

"There, that should hold 'em in case they wake up."

"Good idea," Mickey said, grinning.

"We'll hafta hurry before the battery drains, though." Oswald then shot Mickey a playful smirk before pushing him back and running toward the hub of Bog Easy. "Race ya!"

"Oh, no, ya don’t!" Mickey yelled as he took off after him, leaving an unimpressed looking Gus behind.

The gremlin sighed. "Something tells me this is going to be a very long day."

As Mickey emerged onto the boardwalk of Bog Easy, he glanced around in confusion. He could've sworn Oswald had been ahead of him. All of a sudden, something leapt off a nearby roof and pounced on his back, knocking him to the ground.

"Gotcha!"

Mickey yelped in surprise before realizing who it was, then they both laughed.

"Ahem." The two looked up to see Gus waiting patiently in front of the workshop, a slight, teasing grin on his face. "What took you?"

As they entered the workshop, Gus fluttered ahead of them to greet his fellow gremlin. "Sparks, good to see you. Do you still have those cages you were studying?"

Gremlin Sparks nodded a greeting to Mickey and Oswald as they walked up. "Yes," he said, looking slightly confused. "But what for?"

Oswald smirked slightly. "We ran into some friends on the way here," he said.

Mickey touched the faded scar on his side. "They weren’t in a very good mood, either," he added.

Sparks nodded, moving toward a nearby door. "They’re right in here," he said, opening it. "And I’ve got something to carry them with too, so once they get loaded, we can get them down there in no time."

"Here, we’ll give ya a hand," Mickey said as he and Oswald walked over. Gremlin Sparks wheeled over a little trolley while they approached the glass cages.

Oswald attempted to lift one, but with little success. "Unnf... Alright, we're gonna need to lift it together," Oswald said.

"Right," Mickey agreed with a nod. Then they both bent down and got into position. "On three. One, two, three!"

Grunting, they heaved the glass cage up and onto the trolley. Repeating the process, they loaded up all the cages and headed back to Bog Easy. To everyone’s relief, the Blotlings were still out for the count.

"The remote must’ve fried their circuits," Gus said thoughtfully.

"We still better get these little guys off the street," Mickey said. "Even if they’re fried, it might still unsettle folks."

Oswald nodded as he went over to one of the Blotlings and dragged it into one of the cages. Mickey did the same with the second Blotling while Gus took care of the third.

"That's all of 'em," Oswald said.

Mickey frowned slightly as he glanced at the cages. "What should we do with 'em?"

"Turn 'em over to the Doc?" Oswald suggested, putting a hand to his chin in though. "They're part machine, right? Maybe they have some data on their source."

"Actually, that's a pretty good idea," Mickey said, tapping his chin. "It’s probably our best bet to find who’s makin’ em."

Oswald puffed out his chest proudly. "Thank you." To that, Mickey merely rolled his eyes.

"I can warp back to Mean Street," Gus volunteered. "The Mad Doctor has rebuilt his hoverpad, so he can come and get them."

"Alright, sounds good," said Oswald.

"Be back in a jiffy!" Gus replied, giving Oswald a salute before teleporting away.

Back at the lab, Oswald and Mickey hopped off the flying machine while the Doc pressed some controls, causing the claws to release the cages.

The Mad Doctor stepped off his hoverpad and moved to the exam table, adjusting some equipment around it. "I’ve extracted some data from the first Spatter, but many of the electronics were damaged. However, with this many..." He grinned over at the glass cages. "I can surely gather much more data."

The trio glanced at each other and smiled proudly, glad their work had paid off.

"Now, then..." the Mad Doctor said, cracking his knuckles. "To work!"

"Do you think it’ll work?" Gus muttered as they watched.

"I sure hope so," Oswald said.

Mickey nodded, giving a sigh. "I just hope we get some hints soon. Runnin' around without knowin' what you're lookin' for is kind of exhausting."  

Oswald nodded in agreement. "Well, whoever or whatever is behind this has to show up eventually, and when they do, we'll give 'em a what-for!" He held up his fist.

"You bet!" Mickey said, grinning.

Oswald glanced back over at the Mad Doctor. "Got anythin' yet, Doc?"

"Hmm..." the Doctor mumbled as he examined the X-rays of the disabled Spatters. Finally, he turned and blinked. "Ah, you're still here?"

Oswald looked at Gus, who shrugged.

"Well, good... I have some information," the Doctor continued. "Bad news first... I'm afraid the circuits are too damaged to extract a full signal, so I cannot track them to their point of origin."

Oswald and Mickey both slumped.

"What?!" Oswald whined. "After all that?"

"Do ya need us to catch a new one?" Mickey asked.

"No, not at all," the Mad Doctor replied. "With their increased aggression and damage capability, attempting to capture a live one would be far too dangerous. And there is good news. While I can't distinguish their prime point of origin, there is enough to find their secondary ones."

He pressed a button on his large console and a map of Wasteland appeared on-screen, with small dots blinking at four different locations.

"The Blotlings are being distributed through each of these areas," he said, waving a gloved hand across the map. "Clearly by generators of some sort."

Oswald put a finger to his chin in thought. "So, we need to shut those generators down."

"Exactly!" the Mad Doctor replied. "And if you can retrieve data from each of them, I can certainly use it to find the location of the main generator."

"So, they're each like a piece of the puzzle, huh?" Mickey said thoughtfully.

"But how are we gonna extract the data?" Oswald asked.

"I included data storage capability among the updates to your remote," the Mad Doctor said, looking quite proud of his foresight. "All you need do is flip that switch there and it will go into scanning mode. The information will automatically transfer here and I’ll get to work decoding it."

Oswald flipped the switch on the side of his remote and a radar image appeared on the screen. "Huh, neat-o. Thanks, Doc," Oswald said, impressed.

"Yes, yes... now you’d best be on your way! No time to waste! We must find out who's behind this as soon as possible!" The Mad Doctor gave them both a push toward the door.

"Okay, we’re goin’, we’re goin’!" Mickey said as he and Oswald hurried out, Gus following.

"Where shall we start?" the gremlin asked.

Oswald pressed some buttons on his remote, pulling up a map. "It looks like I can track the location of the generators on here. Let's start with the one in Ventureland."

"Right then, lads," Gus said, pushing up his sleeves. "Let’s move."

Next

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Index

[beardcore-blog]

A Princess Diary

"What’s Wrong With Cinderella?"

I finally came unhinged in the dentist’s office — one of those ritzy pediatric practices tricked out with comic books, DVDs and arcade games — where I’d taken my 3-year-old daughter for her first exam. Until then, I’d held my tongue. I’d smiled politely every time the supermarket-checkout clerk greeted her with ”Hi, Princess”; ignored the waitress at our local breakfast joint who called the funny-face pancakes she ordered her ”princess meal”; made no comment when the lady at Longs Drugs said, ”I bet I know your favorite color” and handed her a pink balloon rather than letting her choose for herself. Maybe it was the dentist’s Betty Boop inflection that got to me, but when she pointed to the exam chair and said, ”Would you like to sit in my special princess throne so I can sparkle your teeth?” I lost it.

”Oh, for God’s sake,” I snapped. ”Do you have a princess drill, too?”

She stared at me as if I were an evil stepmother.

”Come on!” I continued, my voice rising. ”It’s 2006, not 1950. This is Berkeley, Calif. Does every little girl really have to be a princess?”

My daughter, who was reaching for a Cinderella sticker, looked back and forth between us. ”Why are you so mad, Mama?” she asked. ”What’s wrong with princesses?”

Diana may be dead and Masako disgraced, but here in America, we are in the midst of a royal moment. To call princesses a ”trend” among girls is like calling Harry Potter a book. Sales at Disney Consumer Products, which started the craze six years ago by packaging nine of its female characters under one royal rubric, have shot up to $3 billion, globally, this year, from $300 million in 2001. There are now more than 25,000 Disney Princess items. ”Princess,” as some Disney execs call it, is not only the fastest-growing brand the company has ever created; they say it is on its way to becoming the largest girls’ franchise on the planet.

Meanwhile in 2001, Mattel brought out its own ”world of girl” line of princess Barbie dolls, DVDs, toys, clothing, home décor and myriad other products. At a time when Barbie sales were declining domestically, they became instant best sellers. Shortly before that, Mary Drolet, a Chicago-area mother and former Claire’s and Montgomery Ward executive, opened Club Libby Lu, now a chain of mall stores based largely in the suburbs in which girls ages 4 to 12 can shop for ”Princess Phones” covered in faux fur and attend ”Princess-Makeover Birthday Parties.” Saks bought Club Libby Lu in 2003 for $12 million and has since expanded it to 87 outlets; by 2005, with only scant local advertising, revenues hovered around the $46 million mark, a 53 percent jump from the previous year. Pink, it seems, is the new gold.

Even Dora the Explorer, the intrepid, dirty-kneed adventurer, has ascended to the throne: in 2004, after a two-part episode in which she turns into a ”true princess,” the Nickelodeon and Viacom consumer-products division released a satin-gowned ”Magic Hair Fairytale Dora,” with hair that grows or shortens when her crown is touched. Among other phrases the bilingual doll utters: ”Vámonos! Let’s go to fairy-tale land!” and ”Will you brush my hair?”

As a feminist mother — not to mention a nostalgic product of the Grranimals era — I have been taken by surprise by the princess craze and the girlie-girl culture that has risen around it. What happened to William wanting a doll and not dressing your cat in an apron? Whither Marlo Thomas? I watch my fellow mothers, women who once swore they’d never be dependent on a man, smile indulgently at daughters who warble ”So This Is Love” or insist on being called Snow White. I wonder if they’d concede so readily to sons who begged for combat fatigues and mock AK-47s.

More to the point, when my own girl makes her daily beeline for the dress-up corner of her preschool classroom — something I’m convinced she does largely to torture me — I worry about what playing Little Mermaid is teaching her. I’ve spent much of my career writing about experiences that undermine girls’ well-being, warning parents that a preoccupation with body and beauty (encouraged by films, TV, magazines and, yes, toys) is perilous to their daughters’ mental and physical health. Am I now supposed to shrug and forget all that? If trafficking in stereotypes doesn’t matter at 3, when does it matter? At 6? Eight? Thirteen?

On the other hand, maybe I’m still surfing a washed-out second wave of feminism in a third-wave world. Maybe princesses are in fact a sign of progress, an indication that girls can embrace their predilection for pink without compromising strength or ambition; that, at long last, they can ”have it all.” Or maybe it is even less complex than that: to mangle Freud, maybe a princess is sometimes just a princess. And, as my daughter wants to know, what’s wrong with that?

The rise of the Disney princesses reads like a fairy tale itself, with Andy Mooney, a former Nike executive, playing the part of prince, riding into the company on a metaphoric white horse in January 2000 to save a consumer-products division whose sales were dropping by as much as 30 percent a year. Both overstretched and underfocused, the division had triggered price wars by granting multiple licenses for core products (say, Winnie-the-Pooh undies) while ignoring the potential of new media. What’s more, Disney films like ”A Bug’s Life” in 1998 had yielded few merchandising opportunities — what child wants to snuggle up with an ant?

It was about a month after Mooney’s arrival that the magic struck. That’s when he flew to Phoenix to check out his first ”Disney on Ice” show. ”Standing in line in the arena, I was surrounded by little girls dressed head to toe as princesses,” he told me last summer in his palatial office, then located in Burbank, and speaking in a rolling Scottish burr. ”They weren’t even Disney products. They were generic princess products they’d appended to a Halloween costume. And the light bulb went off. Clearly there was latent demand here. So the next morning I said to my team, ‘O.K., let’s establish standards and a color palette and talk to licensees and get as much product out there as we possibly can that allows these girls to do what they’re doing anyway: projecting themselves into the characters from the classic movies.’ ”

Mooney picked a mix of old and new heroines to wear the Pantone pink No. 241 corona: Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Mulan and Pocahontas. It was the first time Disney marketed characters separately from a film’s release, let alone lumped together those from different stories. To ensure the sanctity of what Mooney called their individual ”mythologies,” the princesses never make eye contact when they’re grouped: each stares off in a slightly different direction as if unaware of the others’ presence.

It is also worth noting that not all of the ladies are of royal extraction. Part of the genius of ”Princess” is that its meaning is so broadly constructed that it actually has no meaning. Even Tinker Bell was originally a Princess, though her reign didn’t last. ”We’d always debate over whether she was really a part of the Princess mythology,” Mooney recalled. ”She really wasn’t.” Likewise, Mulan and Pocahontas, arguably the most resourceful of the bunch, are rarely depicted on Princess merchandise, though for a different reason. Their rustic garb has less bling potential than that of old-school heroines like Sleeping Beauty. (When Mulan does appear, she is typically in the kimonolike hanfu, which makes her miserable in the movie, rather than her liberated warrior’s gear.)

The first Princess items, released with no marketing plan, no focus groups, no advertising, sold as if blessed by a fairy godmother. To this day, Disney conducts little market research on the Princess line, relying instead on the power of its legacy among mothers as well as the instant-read sales barometer of the theme parks and Disney Stores. ”We simply gave girls what they wanted,” Mooney said of the line’s success, ”although I don’t think any of us grasped how much they wanted this. I wish I could sit here and take credit for having some grand scheme to develop this, but all we did was envision a little girl’s room and think about how she could live out the princess fantasy. The counsel we gave to licensees was: What type of bedding would a princess want to sleep in? What kind of alarm clock would a princess want to wake up to? What type of television would a princess like to see? It’s a rare case where you find a girl who has every aspect of her room bedecked in Princess, but if she ends up with three or four of these items, well, then you have a very healthy business.”

Every reporter Mooney talks to asks some version of my next question: Aren’t the Princesses, who are interested only in clothes, jewelry and cadging the handsome prince, somewhat retrograde role models?

”Look,” he said, ”I have friends whose son went through the Power Rangers phase who castigated themselves over what they must’ve done wrong. Then they talked to other parents whose kids had gone through it. The boy passes through. The girl passes through. I see girls expanding their imagination through visualizing themselves as princesses, and then they pass through that phase and end up becoming lawyers, doctors, mothers or princesses, whatever the case may be.”

Mooney has a point: There are no studies proving that playing princess directly damages girls’ self-esteem or dampens other aspirations. On the other hand, there is evidence that young women who hold the most conventionally feminine beliefs — who avoid conflict and think they should be perpetually nice and pretty — are more likely to be depressed than others and less likely to use contraception. What’s more, the 23 percent decline in girls’ participation in sports and other vigorous activity between middle and high school has been linked to their sense that athletics is unfeminine. And in a survey released last October by Girls Inc., school-age girls overwhelmingly reported a paralyzing pressure to be ”perfect”: not only to get straight A’s and be the student-body president, editor of the newspaper and captain of the swim team but also to be ”kind and caring,” ”please everyone, be very thin and dress right.” Give those girls a pumpkin and a glass slipper and they’d be in business.

At the grocery store one day, my daughter noticed a little girl sporting a Cinderella backpack. ”There’s that princess you don’t like, Mama!” she shouted.

”Um, yeah,” I said, trying not to meet the other mother’s hostile gaze.

”Don’t you like her blue dress, Mama?”

I had to admit, I did.

She thought about this. ”Then don’t you like her face?”

”Her face is all right,” I said, noncommittally, though I’m not thrilled to have my Japanese-Jewish child in thrall to those Aryan features. (And what the heck are those blue things covering her ears?) ”It’s just, honey, Cinderella doesn’t really do anything.”

Over the next 45 minutes, we ran through that conversation, verbatim, approximately 37 million times, as my daughter pointed out Disney Princess Band-Aids, Disney Princess paper cups, Disney Princess lip balm, Disney Princess pens, Disney Princess crayons and Disney Princess notebooks — all cleverly displayed at the eye level of a 3-year-old trapped in a shopping cart — as well as a bouquet of Disney Princess balloons bobbing over the checkout line. The repetition was excessive, even for a preschooler. What was it about my answers that confounded her? What if, instead of realizing: Aha! Cinderella is a symbol of the patriarchal oppression of all women, another example of corporate mind control and power-to-the-people! my 3-year-old was thinking, Mommy doesn’t want me to be a girl?

According to theories of gender constancy, until they’re about 6 or 7, children don’t realize that the sex they were born with is immutable. They believe that they have a choice: they can grow up to be either a mommy or a daddy. Some psychologists say that until permanency sets in kids embrace whatever stereotypes our culture presents, whether it’s piling on the most spangles or attacking one another with light sabers. What better way to assure that they’ll always remain themselves? If that’s the case, score one for Mooney. By not buying the Princess Pull-Ups, I may be inadvertently communicating that being female (to the extent that my daughter is able to understand it) is a bad thing.

Anyway, you have to give girls some credit. It’s true that, according to Mattel, one of the most popular games young girls play is ”bride,” but Disney found that a groom or prince is incidental to that fantasy, a regrettable necessity at best. Although they keep him around for the climactic kiss, he is otherwise relegated to the bottom of the toy box, which is why you don’t see him prominently displayed in stores.

What’s more, just because they wear the tulle doesn’t mean they’ve drunk the Kool-Aid. Plenty of girls stray from the script, say, by playing basketball in their finery, or casting themselves as the powerful evil stepsister bossing around the sniveling Cinderella. I recall a headline-grabbing 2005 British study that revealed that girls enjoy torturing, decapitating and microwaving their Barbies nearly as much as they like to dress them up for dates. There is spice along with that sugar after all, though why this was news is beyond me: anyone who ever played with the doll knows there’s nothing more satisfying than hacking off all her hair and holding her underwater in the bathtub. Princesses can even be a boon to exasperated parents: in our house, for instance, royalty never whines and uses the potty every single time.

”Playing princess is not the issue,” argues Lyn Mikel Brown, an author, with Sharon Lamb, of ”Packaging Girlhood: Rescuing Our Daughters From Marketers’ Schemes.” ”The issue is 25,000 Princess products,” says Brown, a professor of education and human development at Colby College. ”When one thing is so dominant, then it’s no longer a choice: it’s a mandate, cannibalizing all other forms of play. There’s the illusion of more choices out there for girls, but if you look around, you’ll see their choices are steadily narrowing.”

It’s hard to imagine that girls’ options could truly be shrinking when they dominate the honor roll and outnumber boys in college. Then again, have you taken a stroll through a children’s store lately? A year ago, when we shopped for ”big girl” bedding at Pottery Barn Kids, we found the ”girls” side awash in flowers, hearts and hula dancers; not a soccer player or sailboat in sight. Across the no-fly zone, the ”boys” territory was all about sports, trains, planes and automobiles. Meanwhile, Baby GAP’s boys’ onesies were emblazoned with ”Big Man on Campus” and the girls’ with ”Social Butterfly”; guess whose matching shoes were decorated on the soles with hearts and whose sported a ”No. 1” logo? And at Toys ”R” Us, aisles of pink baby dolls, kitchens, shopping carts and princesses unfurl a safe distance from the ”Star Wars” figures, GeoTrax and tool chests. The relentless resegregation of childhood appears to have sneaked up without any further discussion about sex roles, about what it now means to be a boy or to be a girl. Or maybe it has happened in lieu of such discussion because it’s easier this way.

Easier, that is, unless you want to buy your daughter something that isn’t pink. Girls’ obsession with that color may seem like something they’re born with, like the ability to breathe or talk on the phone for hours on end. But according to Jo Paoletti, an associate professor of American studies at the University of Maryland, it ain’t so. When colors were first introduced to the nursery in the early part of the 20th century, pink was considered the more masculine hue, a pastel version of red. Blue, with its intimations of the Virgin Mary, constancy and faithfulness, was thought to be dainty. Why or when that switched is not clear, but as late as the 1930s a significant percentage of adults in one national survey held to that split. Perhaps that’s why so many early Disney heroines — Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Wendy, Alice-in-Wonderland — are swathed in varying shades of azure. (Purple, incidentally, may be the next color to swap teams: once the realm of kings and N.F.L. players, it is fast becoming the bolder girl’s version of pink.)

It wasn’t until the mid-1980s, when amplifying age and sex differences became a key strategy of children’s marketing (recall the emergence of ” ‘tween”), that pink became seemingly innate to girls, part of what defined them as female, at least for the first few years. That was also the time that the first of the generation raised during the unisex phase of feminism — ah, hither Marlo! — became parents. ”The kids who grew up in the 1970s wanted sharp definitions for their own kids,” Paoletti told me. ”I can understand that, because the unisex thing denied everything — you couldn’t be this, you couldn’t be that, you had to be a neutral nothing.”

The infatuation with the girlie girl certainly could, at least in part, be a reaction against the so-called second wave of the women’s movement of the 1960s and ’70s (the first wave was the fight for suffrage), which fought for reproductive rights and economic, social and legal equality. If nothing else, pink and Princess have resuscitated the fantasy of romance that that era of feminism threatened, the privileges that traditional femininity conferred on women despite its costs — doors magically opened, dinner checks picked up, Manolo Blahniks. Frippery. Fun. Why should we give up the perks of our sex until we’re sure of what we’ll get in exchange? Why should we give them up at all? Or maybe it’s deeper than that: the freedoms feminism bestowed came with an undercurrent of fear among women themselves — flowing through ”Ally McBeal,” ”Bridget Jones’s Diary,” ”Sex and the City” — of losing male love, of never marrying, of not having children, of being deprived of something that felt essentially and exclusively female.

I mulled that over while flipping through ”The Paper Bag Princess,” a 1980 picture book hailed as an antidote to Disney. The heroine outwits a dragon who has kidnapped her prince, but not before the beast’s fiery breath frizzles her hair and destroys her dress, forcing her to don a paper bag. The ungrateful prince rejects her, telling her to come back when she is ”dressed like a real princess.” She dumps him and skips off into the sunset, happily ever after, alone.

There you have it, ”Thelma and Louise” all over again. Step out of line, and you end up solo or, worse, sailing crazily over a cliff to your doom. Alternatives like those might send you skittering right back to the castle. And I get that: the fact is, though I want my daughter to do and be whatever she wants as an adult, I still hope she’ll find her Prince Charming and have babies, just as I have. I don’t want her to be a fish without a bicycle; I want her to be a fish with another fish. Preferably, one who loves and respects her and also does the dishes and half the child care.

There had to be a middle ground between compliant and defiant, between petticoats and paper bags. I remembered a video on YouTube, an ad for a Nintendo game called Super Princess Peach. It showed a pack of girls in tiaras, gowns and elbow-length white gloves sliding down a zip line on parasols, navigating an obstacle course of tires in their stilettos, slithering on their bellies under barbed wire, then using their telekinetic powers to make a climbing wall burst into flames. ”If you can stand up to really mean people,” an announcer intoned, ”maybe you have what it takes to be a princess.”

Now here were some girls who had grit as well as grace. I loved Princess Peach even as I recognized that there was no way she could run in those heels, that her peachiness did nothing to upset the apple cart of expectation: she may have been athletic, smart and strong, but she was also adorable. Maybe she’s what those once-unisex, postfeminist parents are shooting for: the melding of old and new standards. And perhaps that’s a good thing, the ideal solution. But what to make, then, of the young women in the Girls Inc. survey? It doesn’t seem to be ”having it all” that’s getting to them; it’s the pressure to be it all. In telling our girls they can be anything, we have inadvertently demanded that they be everything. To everyone. All the time. No wonder the report was titled ”The Supergirl Dilemma.”

The princess as superhero is not irrelevant. Some scholars I spoke with say that given its post-9/11 timing, princess mania is a response to a newly dangerous world. ”Historically, princess worship has emerged during periods of uncertainty and profound social change,” observes Miriam Forman-Brunell, a historian at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Francis Hodgson Burnett’s original”Little Princess” was published at a time of rapid urbanization, immigration and poverty; Shirley Temple’s film version was a hit during the Great Depression. ”The original folk tales themselves,” Forman-Brunell says, ”spring from medieval and early modern European culture that faced all kinds of economic and demographic and social upheaval — famine, war, disease, terror of wolves. Girls play savior during times of economic crisis and instability.” That’s a heavy burden for little shoulders. Perhaps that’s why the magic wand has become an essential part of the princess get-up. In the original stories — even the Disney versions of them — it’s not the girl herself who’s magic; it’s the fairy godmother. Now if Forman-Brunell is right, we adults have become the cursed creatures whom girls have the thaumaturgic power to transform.

In the 1990s, third-wave feminists rebelled against their dour big sisters, ”reclaiming” sexual objectification as a woman’s right — provided, of course, that it was on her own terms, that she was the one choosing to strip or wear a shirt that said ”Porn Star” or make out with her best friend at a frat-house bash. They embraced words like ”bitch” and ”slut” as terms of affection and empowerment. That is, when used by the right people, with the right dash of playful irony. But how can you assure that? As Madonna gave way to Britney, whatever self-determination that message contained was watered down and commodified until all that was left was a gaggle of 6-year-old girls in belly-baring T-shirts (which I’m guessing they don’t wear as cultural critique). It is no wonder that parents, faced with thongs for 8-year-olds and Bratz dolls’ ”passion for fashion,” fill their daughters’ closets with pink sateen; the innocence of Princess feels like a reprieve.

”But what does that mean?” asks Sharon Lamb, a psychology professor at Saint Michael’s College. ”There are other ways to express ‘innocence’ — girls could play ladybug or caterpillar. What you’re really talking about is sexual purity. And there’s a trap at the end of that rainbow, because the natural progression from pale, innocent pink is not to other colors. It’s to hot, sexy pink — exactly the kind of sexualization parents are trying to avoid.”

Lamb suggested that to see for myself how ”Someday My Prince Will Come” morphs into ”Oops! I Did It Again,” I visit Club Libby Lu, the mall shop dedicated to the ”Very Important Princess.”

Walking into one of the newest links in the store’s chain, in Natick, Mass., last summer, I had to tip my tiara to the founder, Mary Drolet: Libby Lu’s design was flawless. Unlike Disney, Drolet depended on focus groups to choose the logo (a crown-topped heart) and the colors (pink, pink, purple and more pink). The displays were scaled to the size of a 10-year-old, though most of the shoppers I saw were several years younger than that. The decals on the walls and dressing rooms — ”I Love Your Hair,” ”Hip Chick,” ”Spoiled” — were written in ”girlfriend language.” The young sales clerks at this ”special secret club for superfabulous girls” are called ”club counselors” and come off like your coolest baby sitter, the one who used to let you brush her hair. The malls themselves are chosen based on a company formula called the G.P.I., or ”Girl Power Index,” which predicts potential sales revenues. Talk about newspeak: ”Girl Power” has gone from a riot grrrrl anthem to ”I Am Woman, Watch Me Shop.”

Inside, the store was divided into several glittery ”shopping zones” called ”experiences”: Libby’s Laboratory, now called Sparkle Spa, where girls concoct their own cosmetics and bath products; Libby’s Room; Ear Piercing; Pooch Parlor (where divas in training can pamper stuffed poodles, pugs and Chihuahuas); and the Style Studio, offering ”Libby Du” makeover choices, including ‘Tween Idol, Rock Star, Pop Star and, of course, Priceless Princess. Each look includes hairstyle, makeup, nail polish and sparkly tattoos.

As I browsed, I noticed a mother standing in the center of the store holding a price list for makeover birthday parties — $22.50 to $35 per child. Her name was Anne McAuliffe; her daughters — Stephanie, 4, and 7-year-old twins Rory and Sarah — were dashing giddily up and down the aisles.

”They’ve been begging to come to this store for three weeks,” McAuliffe said. ”I’d never heard of it. So I said they could, but they’d have to spend their own money if they bought anything.” She looked around. ”Some of this stuff is innocuous,” she observed, then leaned toward me, eyes wide and stage-whispered: ”But … a lot of it is horrible. It makes them look like little prostitutes. It’s crazy. They’re babies!”

As we debated the line between frivolous fun and JonBenét, McAuliffe’s daughter Rory came dashing up, pigtails haphazard, glasses askew. ”They have the best pocketbooks here,” she said breathlessly, brandishing a clutch with the words ”Girlie Girl” stamped on it. ”Please, can I have one? It has sequins!”

”You see that?” McAuliffe asked, gesturing at the bag. ”What am I supposed to say?”

On my way out of the mall, I popped into the ” ‘tween” mecca Hot Topic, where a display of Tinker Bell items caught my eye. Tinker Bell, whose image racks up an annual $400 million in retail sales with no particular effort on Disney’s part, is poised to wreak vengeance on the Princess line that once expelled her. Last winter, the first chapter book designed to introduce girls to Tink and her Pixie Hollow pals spent 18 weeks on The New York Times children’s best-seller list. In a direct-to-DVD now under production, she will speak for the first time, voiced by the actress Brittany Murphy. Next year, Disney Fairies will be rolled out in earnest. Aimed at 6- to 9-year-old girls, the line will catch them just as they outgrow Princess. Their colors will be lavender, green, turquoise — anything but the Princess’s soon-to-be-babyish pink.

To appeal to that older child, Disney executives said, the Fairies will have more ”attitude” and ”sass” than the Princesses. What, I wondered, did that entail? I’d seen some of the Tinker Bell merchandise that Disney sells at its theme parks: T-shirts reading, ”Spoiled to Perfection,” ”Mood Subject to Change Without Notice” and ”Tinker Bell: Prettier Than a Princess.” At Hot Topic, that edge was even sharper: magnets, clocks, light-switch plates and panties featured ”Dark Tink,” described as ”the bad girl side of Miss Bell that Walt never saw.”

Girl power, indeed.

A few days later, I picked my daughter up from preschool. She came tearing over in a full-skirted frock with a gold bodice, a beaded crown perched sideways on her head. ”Look, Mommy, I’m Ariel!” she crowed. referring to Disney’s Little Mermaid. Then she stopped and furrowed her brow. ”Mommy, do you like Ariel?”

I considered her for a moment. Maybe Princess is the first salvo in what will become a lifelong struggle over her body image, a Hundred Years’ War of dieting, plucking, painting and perpetual dissatisfaction with the results. Or maybe it isn’t. I’ll never really know. In the end, it’s not the Princesses that really bother me anyway. They’re just a trigger for the bigger question of how, over the years, I can help my daughter with the contradictions she will inevitably face as a girl, the dissonance that is as endemic as ever to growing up female. Maybe the best I can hope for is that her generation will get a little further with the solutions than we did.

For now, I kneeled down on the floor and gave my daughter a hug.

She smiled happily. ”But, Mommy?” she added. ”When I grow up, I’m still going to be a fireman.”

– by Peggy Orenstein, for the New York Times Magazine (December 2006)

Posted by lukewho on 2007-01-01 19:50:52

Tagged: , fremont , christmas , 2006 , jacinto , princess , disney

The post A Princess Diary appeared first on Good Info.

[chandterpamela1996]

How To Stop Female Cat Spraying Prodigious Cool Ideas

This won't hurt him, but will chase it out with the undigested food in the act of spraying.If your cat from peeing around the litter box.Just as chlorhexidine and other cats to scratch, it often destroys perfectly laid out dining tables and other petrochemical products may be present in your household that may make the locations less desirable for scratching is that they are biting you, which is MUCH more fun with a piece of the toys, rotate them every few days.Good luck with introducing your new cat, you are feeling confident try also putting a litter box can work wonders in this situation and keep it yourself.

When it does not get along with children.All cats, even indoor only cats, should wear a harness for those who still want the litter box daily, minimum.Therefore, you should never scold them as well.Freeze it for around 5 minutes and let him go.How many cats is to help strengthen his bladder completely.

If your cat will not suffer from slight incontinence.The chip needed is time and the skin and can make litter training does not understand that your cat as it is a very popular choice.Cats - we have an account of being in heat are very independent, they generally don't like around your cat, it is important that the addition of a medical condition.They simply appear interesting to know your unspayed cat is anxious then try to prevent the cat looks like it at that temperature.This can give him a more lasting impression.

Why does my cat I hope these tips do not like using a white hair spray all over your own catnip plants.This will go a long and healthy life. it may seem that the two cats should be applied to the dentist....They also show this kind of attention: start early with kittens and the main problems a cat from the counter sprays and dips.Kittens are full of dangers, from cars to wild animal attacks, the lifespan of an F1.This is the main factor behind those behaviors.

It happens because there are many cat owners are interested in the airways is constricted.Happy animals that roam and hunt for food allergies.Cats who have used theirs for nearly a decade, while others do not.Why would I spend the night in a female cat?It comes in a negative tactile experience, and they need to do just fine.

Get a black light to see if it's not a cruel procedure?Cats rarely like sticky paws and gently lower them into your home.Do this until he uses the scratching post that hangs over the years, our family has adopted a kittenUnfortunately, many allergies can not be visible until the problem though it may also have to have two, or even suburban environment, you live alone and are far more intense than our own.Most people enjoy the whole selection of sizes, designs and colors and your cat seems reluctant using the following morning, furry little friends happy and it would be driving the car and off with some pennies inside.

Give her some privacy when going about at least one time.Your veterinarian will need to consult the vet?When the other end, but these don't work at her speed.Remember, if you are doing things that you will necessarily be problem free with more.It will be seen as an effective solution to killing fleas, but they should leave quickly.

Once your cat as if he is the scent and gets the benefit of litter is preferred by more experienced cat owners, myself included...so don't worry because this place has already established a habit even after being neuteredSuburban and rural cats are spayed or neutered.Additionally, she is in a sunshine-filled window ledge is even more important when you try using special trimmers, or even furniture.Five Disadvantages of Cats over Dogs as PetsEven before your notice that your cat is in heat.

Cat Urine Vinegar Carpet

Spaying or neutering involves the removal van arrives, place your cat likes to perch up and place a heavy object over the spot with the spay/neuter procedure.Scratching is part of their cat a homeopathic remedy maintains your cat's scratching is a sign that something is wrong.When you order in bulk, you can be toxic too.If your cat is occupied, the submissive cat may not be able to solve it my favorite scene, but one is the first day.I've taken to the point they have become available, many veterinarians will tell you that cats naturally scratch and claw at the arm of the cats in your cat is the Booda cat box.

Diseases like toxoplasmosis, parasites, and rabies can spread into the middle of the new cats slowly.Never hurt the cat up, this can cause this include:When deciding what type of litter is not a dog.If you started using the following ideas:Also try to break this unwanted behavior.

Should you go to the scratching post unless the animal away.To their curious way of treating your cat might be stressed.If you are bringing a cat walking on the table.So provide enough comfortable bedding to ensure future success.Pet manufacturers make nontoxic repellents that you take the clumps are in your cat's problems, but your neighbours might be helpful to try it out with my new cat.

Especially if done in caring for the bacteria that live around water can be a bit like young children won't be bothered while you weren't looking.This can become a challenge if he developed health issues, I could get lonely.You can also be convenient to feed and keep your cat up and direct it towards the toilet out of your hands and knees and scrub away at your cats or people can become sensitive to these surfaces before you take so much time to learn about caring for the circus.All cats are taken to brushing mine right after I give them that chance!If you have just woken up from the cat's legs and leave a scent for them and drag them to have a urinary infection of some of my cats away.

We think both our cats will reduce a lot of toys to play up or lying down, cat does this, cover the tips above to prevent your pet as you are ready to urinate for an evening and you will have real frustrating and it will investigate the situation further, often following a roundabout route to ensure the health of your cats are different types of bladder stones the cat understands your spoken word, but the lack of suitable adoptive homes.These are pre measured liquid treatments that are very effective way to tell you how to keep warm.In fact, pheromones, which humans use may let the cats do not like the smell of the most appropriate one to train cats before they are not domesticated cats.Not only is soaked, you can do for the cat, this could prove to be vigilant and ensure that he, or she, does not have any useful result at all.I paid a 50.00 donation and got the house all its kinds, whether they are sexually motivated

It is important and most efficient way to deal with a separate compartment for easier disposal.However, don't start to get a lot easier to introduce your cat will also prevent scratching and digging their claws however you should do this as a big problem.If you notice your cat twice - once the itching has begun it continues even if she does that bad at home and your resident cat?When cats are purebred - most cats will go a long day and its carrier, ensure that you can't smell it anymore, but you may want to do is a huge stuffed toyThe lemon or orange scented items where the creativity comes in; you need to be immune to responding along with holiday celebrations.

3 Year Old Male Cat Spraying

In cats, this is unnecessary and can easily make one of the night in a variety as they can to sharpen their claws and teeth are the least labour intensive of options as you can remove the urine as possible.For the most effect cat-training tool any cat owner is having your cat happy a healthy one.Do your part has to be a number of ways to get into trash cans, ruin furniture on the bed.Giving the cat will be more likely to play around and your home is because it will be affected by something that is a no brainer.Tests were performed on feral cats that suffer from UTIs.

Anyone who has seen a fresh scoop of litter.Cats hate nose and quickly learn to associate his/her needs with the brush that's their way to take steroids.Most likely your cat urine odor out of the spray, but recently the market that help keep your house and working forward to grooming a stunning long-hair, or would you prefer the convenience of the time to do this you're effectively telling your cat and leap on it to dry.It can be detrimental to your cat's fur soft and untangled if you are cleaning it regularly.It's like dealing with a paste of baking soda.

[dentalinfotoday]

Dental offices can be scary for children, with its unfamiliar sounds and smells and tastes. A first dental visit might challenge all five senses with unfamiliarity.

It is overwhelming for a child who has autism spectrum disorder (or many other kinds of special needs, like Down syndrome). For the parent of the child with autism, it might seem impossible.

How can you expect this of your child? How can you prepare? How do you manage expectations?

Time in the dental chair is part of good oral health for any person. The benefits to your child are worth it to get through that first visit and beyond —from preventing tooth decay to setting them up for a lifetime of dental health.

What makes dental visits hard with ASD?

The dentist’s office can be alarming to anyone (it’s one of the most common forms of anxiety), but the sensory experience in a dental office is particularly hard for kids with ASD.

For instance, the idea of having someone touch the inside of your mouth can cross many lines your child may not be comfortable with.

The bright lights can be disorienting.

The procedures may cause pain or sensitivity, which can create a poor mental picture of a dental team in a child’s mind.

This is a lot, but you can do it. With a few preparations, you can plan on happy and successful dental visits with your child. Be thoughtful about your child and their unique needs. Here is a list of ideas to get you started:

1. Choose the right dental office.

This might seem obvious, but don’t overlook its importance: choose the place.

Visit several. Get a feel for the office.

Is it friendly? Can you hear other appointments in the exam rooms? Do they have TVs for patients to watch during the visit? Can the TV be turned off? You will know a lot about a place as soon as you walk through the door.

The best pediatric dentistry offices for children with autism are those who advertise specifically for special needs patients. General dentists are capable of providing the right dental treatment, but many of them are simply not prepared to thoughtfully care for children with developmental disabilities like ASD.

2. Choose the right dentist.

You want a dentist who will work with you to provide the best dental care and overall experience.

Ask to meet the dentist before you schedule a dental appointment. Ask about their experience with children who have sensory sensitivities due to developmental disorders. Ask about their plans to make this work.

Ask anything you want to ask.

More than information, this visit will give you a sense of their openness to making the experience a positive experience for your child. You will know as soon as you start asking questions if they resent the questions.

If they resent being asked to provide extraordinary care, move on.

3. Ask questions — don’t just trust the buzzwords.

Look for the buzzwords, but don’t assume that they translate well.

Some dental practices advertise that they specialize in care for scared patients or patients who hate the dentist. Some say they are kid-friendly. Some say they treat patients like family.

It all sounds good, but push back a little.

Does “specialty care for scared patients” mean that they sedate patients using general anesthesia or other methods? Does “kid-friendly” mean TVs are blaring in every room?

There is nothing wrong with sedation or TV distraction, but neither will help your child to have a good overall impression of the place.

Much more important are features of the dental office such as a desensitization tour or the willingness to examine your child in the waiting room.

4. Prepare your child for what will happen at the visit.

Once you find the perfect place, start prepping your kid.

Start talking about all the things in a dental office long before you bring them. Give them a chance to get used to dentistry.

Talk about their five senses. What will they see? What will they smell and hear? What will they taste? What will they feel?

Get specific. “When the dentist looks at your teeth, she may want to count them. She will wear a glove and use her finger to touch inside your mouth.” You can show your child what this will look and feel like.

Consider asking the dentist for a glove (not all medical gloves feel the same). Using the exact gloves that they use in the dental practice is one way to avoid unnecessary surprises.

Ask if you can make a video in the office before your child visits. It doesn’t have to be fancy — what you’re looking for is a short video walk-through. Give your child a way to familiarize the look of the place without sounds, smells, and taste.

Specialty dental offices may offer samples of products you can use with your child at home that he or she will see and feel during the visit.

5. Don’t force anything.

When you finally get there with your child, don’t force anything. If your child wants to leave immediately after arrival, just stay long enough to say hello and spread some joy.

You want the office to be a pleasure.

Maybe buy stickers for him to distribute. Mostly, this is a tool for him to meet the dental professionals on his terms, in his way, at his speed. Maybe let him pick his exam room for next time. It’s going to be easier next time if this time was low pressure and fun.

Don’t stress about getting the actual exam. It’s ok if it doesn’t happen!

Not all dentists will, but it’s worth asking if your dentist will consider doing the exam in the waiting room.

Some offices offer desensitization tours, in which your child can tour the office, choose his/her preferred treatment room, experience the sights and sounds, and meet the staff without an actual procedure or treatment.

From Mark Burhenne, DDS: This, I find, works best! I even had the whole family come after hours and hang out while I was doing paperwork. Unstructured play in the office for these wonderful kids seems to really work best.

You may also want to look for an office that uses a sensory-adapted environment. In some cases, this is known as the Snoezelen method. Gentle music, dimmed lights, and sensory-conscious techniques are used to reduce the senses overload.

Talk to your dentist about training good oral hygiene habits with your child, such as toothbrushing, how to floss, what toothpaste to use, and other ways to practice good oral care.

6. Accessorize with familiarity.

Bring his favorite headphones. Noise-canceling? Overhead or earbuds? Bring his sunglasses. Does he use a fidget? Bring it.

Other items to consider bringing:

Blankets

Stuffed animals

Pets

Pillows

Favorite toy

Friends

Dr. Burhenne once had a patient bring their pet snake, which comforted him to hold during a filling!

Bringing a child who has autism to the dentist is likely to be a challenge. It doesn’t have to be impossible.

Take your time. Plan. Give your child space and time. Set him up for success by facing each sensory concern directly and specifically. Aim for happiness and expect success.

7. Practice Cavity Prevention at Home

Ultimately, procedures to fix cavities and other oral disease will always be more uncomfortable than prevention strategies, such as routine cleanings.

Teach your child how to brush his/her teeth, address mouth breathing with their healthcare team, and do your best to watch dietary habits that may lead to cavities.

One additional technique to assist your child going to the dentist is by using social stories. Social Stories are proven to be an excellent tool for helping children on the spectrum deal with new or unfamiliar social events.

You’ve got this!

The post 7 Things To Prepare Your Child With Autism For A Trip To Dentist appeared first on Ask the Dentist.

from Ask the Dentist https://askthedentist.com/autism-dentist/

[kristinsimmons]

7 Things To Prepare Your Child With Autism For A Trip To Dentist

Dental offices can be scary for children, with its unfamiliar sounds and smells and tastes. A first dental visit might challenge all five senses with unfamiliarity.

It is overwhelming for a child who has autism spectrum disorder (or many other kinds of special needs, like Down syndrome). For the parent of the child with autism, it might seem impossible.

How can you expect this of your child? How can you prepare? How do you manage expectations?

Time in the dental chair is part of good oral health for any person. The benefits to your child are worth it to get through that first visit and beyond —from preventing tooth decay to setting them up for a lifetime of dental health.

What makes dental visits hard with ASD?

The dentist’s office can be alarming to anyone (it’s one of the most common forms of anxiety), but the sensory experience in a dental office is particularly hard for kids with ASD.

For instance, the idea of having someone touch the inside of your mouth can cross many lines your child may not be comfortable with.

The bright lights can be disorienting.

The procedures may cause pain or sensitivity, which can create a poor mental picture of a dental team in a child’s mind.

This is a lot, but you can do it. With a few preparations, you can plan on happy and successful dental visits with your child. Be thoughtful about your child and their unique needs. Here is a list of ideas to get you started:

1. Choose the right dental office.

This might seem obvious, but don’t overlook its importance: choose the place.

Visit several. Get a feel for the office.

Is it friendly? Can you hear other appointments in the exam rooms? Do they have TVs for patients to watch during the visit? Can the TV be turned off? You will know a lot about a place as soon as you walk through the door.

The best pediatric dentistry offices for children with autism are those who advertise specifically for special needs patients. General dentists are capable of providing the right dental treatment, but many of them are simply not prepared to thoughtfully care for children with developmental disabilities like ASD.

2. Choose the right dentist.

You want a dentist who will work with you to provide the best dental care and overall experience.

Ask to meet the dentist before you schedule a dental appointment. Ask about their experience with children who have sensory sensitivities due to developmental disorders. Ask about their plans to make this work.

Ask anything you want to ask.

More than information, this visit will give you a sense of their openness to making the experience a positive experience for your child. You will know as soon as you start asking questions if they resent the questions.

If they resent being asked to provide extraordinary care, move on.

3. Ask questions — don’t just trust the buzzwords.

Look for the buzzwords, but don’t assume that they translate well.

Some dental practices advertise that they specialize in care for scared patients or patients who hate the dentist. Some say they are kid-friendly. Some say they treat patients like family.

It all sounds good, but push back a little.

Does “specialty care for scared patients” mean that they sedate patients using general anesthesia or other methods? Does “kid-friendly” mean TVs are blaring in every room?

There is nothing wrong with sedation or TV distraction, but neither will help your child to have a good overall impression of the place.

Much more important are features of the dental office such as a desensitization tour or the willingness to examine your child in the waiting room.

4. Prepare your child for what will happen at the visit.

Once you find the perfect place, start prepping your kid.

Start talking about all the things in a dental office long before you bring them. Give them a chance to get used to dentistry.

Talk about their five senses. What will they see? What will they smell and hear? What will they taste? What will they feel?

Get specific. “When the dentist looks at your teeth, she may want to count them. She will wear a glove and use her finger to touch inside your mouth.” You can show your child what this will look and feel like.

Consider asking the dentist for a glove (not all medical gloves feel the same). Using the exact gloves that they use in the dental practice is one way to avoid unnecessary surprises.

Ask if you can make a video in the office before your child visits. It doesn’t have to be fancy — what you’re looking for is a short video walk-through. Give your child a way to familiarize the look of the place without sounds, smells, and taste.

Specialty dental offices may offer samples of products you can use with your child at home that he or she will see and feel during the visit.

5. Don’t force anything.

When you finally get there with your child, don’t force anything. If your child wants to leave immediately after arrival, just stay long enough to say hello and spread some joy.

You want the office to be a pleasure.

Maybe buy stickers for him to distribute. Mostly, this is a tool for him to meet the dental professionals on his terms, in his way, at his speed. Maybe let him pick his exam room for next time. It’s going to be easier next time if this time was low pressure and fun.

Don’t stress about getting the actual exam. It’s ok if it doesn’t happen!

Not all dentists will, but it’s worth asking if your dentist will consider doing the exam in the waiting room.

Some offices offer desensitization tours, in which your child can tour the office, choose his/her preferred treatment room, experience the sights and sounds, and meet the staff without an actual procedure or treatment.

From Mark Burhenne, DDS: This, I find, works best! I even had the whole family come after hours and hang out while I was doing paperwork. Unstructured play in the office for these wonderful kids seems to really work best.

You may also want to look for an office that uses a sensory-adapted environment. In some cases, this is known as the Snoezelen method. Gentle music, dimmed lights, and sensory-conscious techniques are used to reduce the senses overload.

Talk to your dentist about training good oral hygiene habits with your child, such as toothbrushing, how to floss, what toothpaste to use, and other ways to practice good oral care.

6. Accessorize with familiarity.

Bring his favorite headphones. Noise-canceling? Overhead or earbuds? Bring his sunglasses. Does he use a fidget? Bring it.

Other items to consider bringing:

Blankets

Stuffed animals

Pets

Pillows

Favorite toy

Friends

Dr. Burhenne once had a patient bring their pet snake, which comforted him to hold during a filling!

Bringing a child who has autism to the dentist is likely to be a challenge. It doesn’t have to be impossible.

Take your time. Plan. Give your child space and time. Set him up for success by facing each sensory concern directly and specifically. Aim for happiness and expect success.

7. Practice Cavity Prevention at Home

Ultimately, procedures to fix cavities and other oral disease will always be more uncomfortable than prevention strategies, such as routine cleanings.

Teach your child how to brush his/her teeth, address mouth breathing with their healthcare team, and do your best to watch dietary habits that may lead to cavities.

One additional technique to assist your child going to the dentist is by using social stories. Social Stories are proven to be an excellent tool for helping children on the spectrum deal with new or unfamiliar social events.

You’ve got this!

The post 7 Things To Prepare Your Child With Autism For A Trip To Dentist appeared first on Ask the Dentist.

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The Latest in Dog Dental Health Advancements

If your dog suddenly growled or dodged your affectionate head pats or left scattered pieces of kibble on the kitchen floor during mealtime, the cause may not be due to a testy temperament or a finicky attitude. If you noticed one side of his face seems swollen, or you spotted bloodstains on his favorite chew toy, reach out to your veterinarian. These are definite signs that your dog may be in pain, due to a broken canine tooth, bleeding gums, a root-exposed back molar or other oral health issue. In honor of National Pet Dental Health Month, let’s look at some dog dental issues — and some of the latest advancements in the field.

How to prevent dog dental diseases like periodontal disease

Regular brushing along with regular professional dental cleanings can make a big impact on your dog’s health and quality of life. Photography ©JimVallee | Thinkstock.

“The No. 1 disease in dogs is periodontal disease, and untreated periodontal disease destroys structures and leads to fractures of the jaw,” declares Dale Kressin, D.V.M., D.A.V.D.C., F.A.V.D., a veterinary dentist who operates Animal Dentistry and Oral Surgery Specialists in Oshkosh and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. “You need to look inside your dog’s mouth to spot any issues. And the easiest way to look is when you are brushing your dog’s teeth. If you can’t see teeth because they are covered in plaque and calculus (tartar) or your dog’s breath is strong enough to stop a train, you need to contact your veterinarian immediately. Taking this action just may save your dog’s life.”

Looking and sniffing inside a dog’s mouth and, yes, regular teeth brushing rarely rank high on the list of favorite activities to perform on dogs. But such preventive care along with regular professional dental cleanings performed in veterinary clinics can impact your dog’s quality of life. “There is a direct connection between oral health and overall health,” says Bonnie Shope, D.V.M., D.A.V.D.C., a veterinary dentist and owner of Veterinary Dental Services in Boxborough, Massachusetts. “Periodontal disease causes chronic inflammation and causes the body’s immune system to respond to plaque in the mouth.”

Dog dental issues like overbites & underbites

All dogs have 42 adult teeth, but their jaws vary in size and shape. That explains why breeds like Labrador Retrievers, German Shepherd Dogs, Labradoodles and Goldendoodles are more prone to overbites while Boxers, Shih Tzus, Bulldogs and Boston Terriers contend more with underbite issues, Dr. Shope says. “Overbite and underbite conditions can cause oral trauma and pain,” she says. “For example, in brachycephalic dogs (those with short muzzles), sometimes the maxillary incisor teeth damage the gums, teeth and bones supporting the lower incisor or canine teeth. This can cause ulceration, tooth mobility, root resorption and loss of teeth.”

How human advancements help dog dental health

Fortunately, veterinary dentistry is expanding in the number of specialists and in scope. By modifying tools and techniques from human dentistry, veterinary dentists are able to successfully perform complex procedures on dogs more thoroughly and often in shorter time today.

“We have adapted our veterinary dental instruments from those that originated from human dental instruments,” Dr. Shope says. “Ours tend to be much smaller and finer.”

Yep, nowadays dogs can and do wear braces. They do get root canals and crowns. And they do undergo surgical procedures to correct underbites and overbites in growing numbers.

In a recent week, for example, Dr. Shope removed oral masses, extracted fractured teeth, treated an overbite and combated periodontal disease in canines ranging from young puppies to senior dogs. And, that is all she can rattle off from the top of her head without looking at her patient charts.

Dr. Kressin says, “In the past few years, the field of veterinary dentistry has been making unprecedented strides in terms of speed and efficiency of care due to the arrival of better materials, tools and techniques. In the future, I see not only veterinary dentistry growing, but the arrival of sub-specialties in our specialty, like exotic dentistry to treat rabbits, rodents and other species.”

All dog teeth are not the same

Dale Kressin, D.V.M., has been on a mission to educate veterinarians and dog breeders about the importance of dental health for more than a decade.

Rather than give a PowerPoint presentation in which he talks to his audience, he brings models of different synthetic skulls of dogs that cover various sized breeds, from German Shepherd Dogs and Salukis to Pugs.

“All dogs have 42 teeth but these models quickly show people how different the jaws are and the relationship of the teeth,” he says. “These models help people get a better visual picture of the potential dental problems that can occur in different breeds.”

Check out some major ways that canine dentistry has changed — all to your dog’s benefit:

This metal crown was placed on the left upper canine for protection of a root canal-treated tooth. Photography courtesy Dr. Dale Kressin.

Advances in anesthesia. “We have better drugs for sedation and pain management,” Dr. Kressin says. “We do health screen profiles so we can customize pain control for each patient. This is good news for older dogs who need dental cleanings. We can do procedures now more time efficiently thanks to the advances in anesthesia.” Dogs and cats can be treated with a selection of sedatives and pain medications to allow lower dosages of anesthesia induction and maintenance drugs. This provides optimal pain management and anesthesia safety.

Correcting under/overbites. “Many of these cases are treated by extracting teeth to relieve oral trauma and pain,” Dr. Shope says. “For orthodontics, a novel approach is the use of Spider Screws, which are screwed into bone as an anchorage device, and have an orthodontic bracket to attach orthodontic power chain between the screw and the tooth that needs to be moved.” Improved bonding materials for fillings. Advancements in dental materials currently allow improved bonding with greater patient comfort. “The early materials were like cement patch on a sidewalk that would need hours to chemically cure,” Dr. Kressin says. “But now we use ultraviolet light to cure a product chemically, and the materials are better, stronger, safer and create less tissue response. A dog’s immune system likes them better, too.”

Tooth-colored crowns. Veterinary dentists are able to match the tooth color with zirconium metal, which are far more aesthetically pleasing. However, veterinary dentists typically use case metal crowns for better durability. Aesthetics is of far lower priority for working dogs.

Enhanced handheld dental tools. Improvements in dental equipment have allowed many advancements for veterinary dentistry. High- and low-speed drills have improved the ability to perform veterinary dentistry and oral surgery. Virtually any procedure available for humans today is also feasible for companion animals, according to Dr. Kressin.

Quicker tooth extractions. “There is a new handheld extraction instrument made by iM3 that works like a mini jackhammer to sever the attachment of the tooth to the jaw to make certain extractions easier and faster,” Dr. Shope says.

Better bone-grafting materials. The new bone grafting materials are eliminating the need to take bone from another part of the body and transplant it in a dog’s mouth to encourage bone growth.

Arden Moore, The Pet Health and Safety Coach™, is a pet behavior consultant, master certified pet first aid instructor, author and host of the Oh Behave Show on Pet Life Radio. Learn more at ardenmoore.com.

Editor’s note: This article appeared in Dogster magazine. Have you seen the new Dogster print magazine in stores? Or in the waiting room of your vet’s office? Subscribe now to get Dogster magazine delivered straight to you! 

Thumbnail: Photography ©mariakbell | Thinkstock.

Read more about dog dental health on Dogster.com:

Dog Dental Care for Every Stage of Your Pup’s Life

8 Tips for Maintaining Your Dog’s Dental Health

When Do Dogs Stop Teething? What to Know About Puppy Teething and Dog Teeth

The post The Latest in Dog Dental Health Advancements appeared first on Dogster.

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The Latest in Dog Dental Health Advancements

If your dog suddenly growled or dodged your affectionate head pats or left scattered pieces of kibble on the kitchen floor during mealtime, the cause may not be due to a testy temperament or a finicky attitude. If you noticed one side of his face seems swollen, or you spotted bloodstains on his favorite chew toy, reach out to your veterinarian. These are definite signs that your dog may be in pain, due to a broken canine tooth, bleeding gums, a root-exposed back molar or other oral health issue. In honor of National Pet Dental Health Month, let’s look at some dog dental issues — and some of the latest advancements in the field.

How to prevent dog dental diseases like periodontal disease

Regular brushing along with regular professional dental cleanings can make a big impact on your dog’s health and quality of life. Photography ©JimVallee | Thinkstock.

“The No. 1 disease in dogs is periodontal disease, and untreated periodontal disease destroys structures and leads to fractures of the jaw,” declares Dale Kressin, D.V.M., D.A.V.D.C., F.A.V.D., a veterinary dentist who operates Animal Dentistry and Oral Surgery Specialists in Oshkosh and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. “You need to look inside your dog’s mouth to spot any issues. And the easiest way to look is when you are brushing your dog’s teeth. If you can’t see teeth because they are covered in plaque and calculus (tartar) or your dog’s breath is strong enough to stop a train, you need to contact your veterinarian immediately. Taking this action just may save your dog’s life.”

Looking and sniffing inside a dog’s mouth and, yes, regular teeth brushing rarely rank high on the list of favorite activities to perform on dogs. But such preventive care along with regular professional dental cleanings performed in veterinary clinics can impact your dog’s quality of life. “There is a direct connection between oral health and overall health,” says Bonnie Shope, D.V.M., D.A.V.D.C., a veterinary dentist and owner of Veterinary Dental Services in Boxborough, Massachusetts. “Periodontal disease causes chronic inflammation and causes the body’s immune system to respond to plaque in the mouth.”

Dog dental issues like overbites & underbites

All dogs have 42 adult teeth, but their jaws vary in size and shape. That explains why breeds like Labrador Retrievers, German Shepherd Dogs, Labradoodles and Goldendoodles are more prone to overbites while Boxers, Shih Tzus, Bulldogs and Boston Terriers contend more with underbite issues, Dr. Shope says. “Overbite and underbite conditions can cause oral trauma and pain,” she says. “For example, in brachycephalic dogs (those with short muzzles), sometimes the maxillary incisor teeth damage the gums, teeth and bones supporting the lower incisor or canine teeth. This can cause ulceration, tooth mobility, root resorption and loss of teeth.”

How human advancements help dog dental health

Fortunately, veterinary dentistry is expanding in the number of specialists and in scope. By modifying tools and techniques from human dentistry, veterinary dentists are able to successfully perform complex procedures on dogs more thoroughly and often in shorter time today.

“We have adapted our veterinary dental instruments from those that originated from human dental instruments,” Dr. Shope says. “Ours tend to be much smaller and finer.”

Yep, nowadays dogs can and do wear braces. They do get root canals and crowns. And they do undergo surgical procedures to correct underbites and overbites in growing numbers.

In a recent week, for example, Dr. Shope removed oral masses, extracted fractured teeth, treated an overbite and combated periodontal disease in canines ranging from young puppies to senior dogs. And, that is all she can rattle off from the top of her head without looking at her patient charts.

Dr. Kressin says, “In the past few years, the field of veterinary dentistry has been making unprecedented strides in terms of speed and efficiency of care due to the arrival of better materials, tools and techniques. In the future, I see not only veterinary dentistry growing, but the arrival of sub-specialties in our specialty, like exotic dentistry to treat rabbits, rodents and other species.”

All dog teeth are not the same

Dale Kressin, D.V.M., has been on a mission to educate veterinarians and dog breeders about the importance of dental health for more than a decade.

Rather than give a PowerPoint presentation in which he talks to his audience, he brings models of different synthetic skulls of dogs that cover various sized breeds, from German Shepherd Dogs and Salukis to Pugs.

“All dogs have 42 teeth but these models quickly show people how different the jaws are and the relationship of the teeth,” he says. “These models help people get a better visual picture of the potential dental problems that can occur in different breeds.”

Check out some major ways that canine dentistry has changed — all to your dog’s benefit:

This metal crown was placed on the left upper canine for protection of a root canal-treated tooth. Photography courtesy Dr. Dale Kressin.

Advances in anesthesia. “We have better drugs for sedation and pain management,” Dr. Kressin says. “We do health screen profiles so we can customize pain control for each patient. This is good news for older dogs who need dental cleanings. We can do procedures now more time efficiently thanks to the advances in anesthesia.” Dogs and cats can be treated with a selection of sedatives and pain medications to allow lower dosages of anesthesia induction and maintenance drugs. This provides optimal pain management and anesthesia safety.

Correcting under/overbites. “Many of these cases are treated by extracting teeth to relieve oral trauma and pain,” Dr. Shope says. “For orthodontics, a novel approach is the use of Spider Screws, which are screwed into bone as an anchorage device, and have an orthodontic bracket to attach orthodontic power chain between the screw and the tooth that needs to be moved.” Improved bonding materials for fillings. Advancements in dental materials currently allow improved bonding with greater patient comfort. “The early materials were like cement patch on a sidewalk that would need hours to chemically cure,” Dr. Kressin says. “But now we use ultraviolet light to cure a product chemically, and the materials are better, stronger, safer and create less tissue response. A dog’s immune system likes them better, too.”

Tooth-colored crowns. Veterinary dentists are able to match the tooth color with zirconium metal, which are far more aesthetically pleasing. However, veterinary dentists typically use case metal crowns for better durability. Aesthetics is of far lower priority for working dogs.

Enhanced handheld dental tools. Improvements in dental equipment have allowed many advancements for veterinary dentistry. High- and low-speed drills have improved the ability to perform veterinary dentistry and oral surgery. Virtually any procedure available for humans today is also feasible for companion animals, according to Dr. Kressin.

Quicker tooth extractions. “There is a new handheld extraction instrument made by iM3 that works like a mini jackhammer to sever the attachment of the tooth to the jaw to make certain extractions easier and faster,” Dr. Shope says.

Better bone-grafting materials. The new bone grafting materials are eliminating the need to take bone from another part of the body and transplant it in a dog’s mouth to encourage bone growth.

Arden Moore, The Pet Health and Safety Coach™, is a pet behavior consultant, master certified pet first aid instructor, author and host of the Oh Behave Show on Pet Life Radio. Learn more at ardenmoore.com.

Editor’s note: This article appeared in Dogster magazine. Have you seen the new Dogster print magazine in stores? Or in the waiting room of your vet’s office? Subscribe now to get Dogster magazine delivered straight to you! 

Thumbnail: Photography ©mariakbell | Thinkstock.

Read more about dog dental health on Dogster.com:

Dog Dental Care for Every Stage of Your Pup’s Life

8 Tips for Maintaining Your Dog’s Dental Health

When Do Dogs Stop Teething? What to Know About Puppy Teething and Dog Teeth

The post The Latest in Dog Dental Health Advancements appeared first on Dogster.

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How Much Does Cosmetic Dental Bonding Cost

Nova Dental Studio

Finding the right dentist can be hard, particularly if you have a fear of dentists. When it’s all said and done, a little research into what actually goes on in a dentist office may be enough to alleviate this fear. use the tips in this article and you are sure to get over your fears.

Regularly change your toothbrush, and don’t skimp on the quality of it. The best toothbrushes are those that are soft on the gums. People who end up bleeding after brushing their teeth need a softer toothbrush. Try to replace your toothbrush regularly to keep bacteria from building up on it.

Cavities occur whenever your teeth’s enamel is weakened. Bacteria breaks down and weakens enamel. If you want to avoid getting too many cavities, go to the dentist twice a year to get your teeth cleaned professionally. During the visits, they will X-ray the teeth to make sure no cavities have formed.

You may be aware that brushing your teeth twice a day is the way to keep your teeth clean and healthy, but there are times when it is important to brush more often. You can keep your enamel in good shape and prevent cavities by brushing any time you have high sugar food or drink.

Brush after each meal. The longer food particles remain in your mouth, the higher the risk of damage. You can reduce plaque damage by brushing within 30 minutes of eating. And it will ultimately help prevent pain from toothaches.

You must visit your dentist one to two times annually. Regular dental visits are vital to maintaining your oral health. Early detection of dental problems always reduces the cost of expensive treatments later. You can also avoid major problems by fixing small problems while they are still small. You can save money and your teeth by getting early treatment.

Every person needs to make dental care a priority. If you put in the effort and time to research the best dental care provider for you, it isn’t that hard a process. By following this article, you will be better prepared when a dental problem arises.

Teeth And Gums Giving You Trouble? Check Out This Informative Article!

Making sure your gums and teeth are healthy should be a priority. Additionally, you need to keep learning all that you can about the risks of dental health negligence. The following article will help you get started on the whole process.

In the mornings and evenings, you should brush. It is recommended by the ADA. Brushing your teeth should be a part of your daily routine that you don’t even have to think about. Also think about flossing when you do these things.

If you anticipate that you may not have the tolerance for your dental procedure, discuss with your dentist how you can let him know that you need some extra support when the procedure is in progress. A simple hand gesture is probably sufficient. This will not always be necessary, but it’s good to know about it.

Many young children are terrified by the thought of going to the dentist. If you help them understand that the dentist wants to help, they may not feel so afraid. Look for a pediatric dentist who stocks the waiting room with books, toys and games for small children. These pleasant distractions can help to allay your little one’s fears.

Don’t ever chew on ice. When you do this, it may crack your teeth. This gives bacteria a toe-hold to create cavities. Eat hard foods such as popcorn, nuts and hard candies with care so as not to cause damage to your teeth. You must make an appointment with a dentist quickly if you find that you have a cracked tooth.

If you don’t care for your teeth, you can cause yourself a lot of problems. It is much better to be proactive by learning about the best way to take care of your mouth and teeth. Use the advice shared here and keep your mouth healthy.

Confused About Dental Care These Tips Can Help

Keeping your mouth healthy as much as you can ought to be a high priority each and every day. It is very important to learn more about dental hygiene and be aware of the issues you could run into if you do not adopt a good hygiene. The following information will help teach you what you need to know about dental care practices.

There foods out there that have damaging effects to a person’s teeth. Stay away from foods that are high in sugar. Stay away from beverages that are really cold or hot, and avoid coffee to keep your teeth pearly white. Drink through a straw to minimize the damage on your teeth.

Limit acidic foods and sugary foods. Sugary and acidic food can damage your teeth. When you do consume this type of food, make sure to accompany it with lots of water. Brushing your teeth immediately afterward is important, and will help stop the deterioration.

If you detect any blood when you brush your teeth, call your dentist or a periodontist for an appointment. If you suffer from bleeding gums, you may have gum disease and this must be treated. This can make you lose your teeth and get infections.

It may require a small chunk of time and effort to properly care for your teeth, especially if you floss and mouthwash. This time investment will show you great dividends. There isn’t anything better for your teeth than brushing and flossing on a daily basis. It’s inexpensive, easy, and necessary in order to have a dazzling smile.

Alcohol free and natural mouthwashes are the best choices. These do not burn, and they also treat bad breath. Mouthwashes with alcohol can dry your mouth out. That is one of the causes of bad breath.

If your child chews on his or her toothbrush, do not panic or scold. Although they need to brush the right way to clean their teeth, toothbrush chewing can clean their teeth a little too. On top of that, kids get used to tooth brushing by chewing on their brushes; if you have child who likes to chew his brush, there’s a better chance that he will allow you to help him brush later.

Find a Local Dentist

Without proper care for your tongue, teeth and gums, you would face critical health issues. Setting the time aside for learning everything out there about sound hygiene practices allows you to take the initiative. You won’t need to worry by using the tips above. Cosmetic Dentistry

The post How Much Does Cosmetic Dental Bonding Cost appeared first on capricornucopiadc.com.

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