I’ve been thinking about teeth a lot this week. Yep, the good ol’ fashioned teeth we all have in our mouths. This has been a busy teeth week in my house and I’ve been thinking about my children and their teeth a lot.

I took Matan and Yehuda to the dentist last week and it cost a pretty penny. Yehuda had to have a big cavity filled and Matan has a problem with one tooth we’ll have to get fixed.

While all of this has been happening, Yehuda lost one of his front teeth this week. He looks adorable with one big tooth missing, the other loose, and the adult tooth descending already on top of the loose tooth. It’s a very busy mouth he’s got there.

And then there is Azriel. Oh – not to worry…no cavities there. The kid doesn’t have any teeth yet and I’ve been cracking up all week at his gums. I never knew that gums could be so funny. I play a game with him that my dad always played with us as kids and that he plays with the grandkids. It’s called “Hello and Goodbye.” Very complicated game. You sit the child on your lap facing you, take their hands in yours and then push then backwards so that they look backwards towards the floor. That’s the goodbye. Then, you flip them back onto your lap for the hello. Azriel loves the game – and I love playing it with him because I get to look at his adorable little gums when he flips back and laughs.

Who would think that gums could be so cute? I look at his empty little mouth and I see so much potential. Those gums are going to take him through his whole life, sprouting teeth, loosing teeth, getting new teeth. He’s got a whole life ahead of him and so much growing to do. And for now, he’s just full of all of this potential and these adorable, empty little gums.

Let’s hear it for teeth coming in, teeth going out, and healthy gums for all.