Reprise: There goes another $130

Meelyn had her orthodontist appointment on Wednesday and was allowed to have the bands taken off all her molars (the brackets were taken off her front teeth three years ago) and her permanent lower retainer removed. Dr. Chuck had spacers put in between her molars to make room for her last set of chompers to break thru, and then one of his assistants took the impression for Meelyn's new upper retainer.

When I had braces, back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, you had one choice of retainer color: a pink bit of flesh-colored yuck that looked like a little flap of skin taken from someone's buttock, hopefully your own. But now! Retainers are things of beauty and a joy to behold!

Her ruined one was of a tie-dye design, but they've added a few new patterns and colors in the past two years to please the taste of the most discriminating teen. Meelyn chose a white one with the masks of comedy and tragedy embedded therein.

The orthodontist has also added a new price tag: $150 instead of $130. *sigh*

As I handed over my check, I bit the bullet and asked if I could make Aisling's first appointment to discuss the orthodontic work she's going to have to have done. Right now, she has the most adorable jack-o-lantern teeth which are just beyond cute on a little freckle-nosed sweetie with bangs and pigtails, but perhaps not quite so charming on a young lady. I can hardly wait to see her with braces. The assistant told me I was going to have to wait a while on those, though: Aisling has to lose two more baby teeth, neither of which are loose, before anything orthodontic can happen.

When it does, our checkbook is ready and waiting.