Overcoming My Fears

I am a chicken.

It is just that simple.  Of course, this is information I have only discovered in myself within the past few years.  Until then, I had considered myself fearless.  I am not afraid to speak in public.  I was not afraid to go on a mission to a foreign country.  (Ok, ok,  I was afraid of the spiders and cockroaches) I was not afraid to hitch hike, pee in the middle of I-5 during rush hour, ride on the back of motorcycles and whatever other thing I should have been afraid to do...

No, not me,  I am afraid of Spiders.

and Heights

and of breaking a major Bone in my body

and of Falling off of strange things

and of Bikes 

 ( JT has been helping with that one ever since we discovered that fear on our Honeymoon)

and of Ski Lifts

and Fire in any form

 (except camp fires, where the pyro in my family genes comes out)

Oh, and I am afraid of Wiggly Teeth.  (we'll come back to that one later)

One thing I am not afraid of is Adventure.  I think about it all the time.  You all know the heartbreak I went through at the loss of moving to NY and having a Big Adventure.  (which by the way- this flurry of snow we have had in Washington makes me very grateful we are not in upstate NY!) I was recently attempting to explain this need to my in-laws when my mother in law pointed out that maybe my adventure in life would be raising three children...  ( *crickets* awkward silence*)

To a girl who Fears Groundhog Day and the idea of doing the same dirty dishes, cleaning the same high chair, and matching the same piles of socks everyday-- the idea of this being my adventure in life was a little disheartening. Can't I raise three children while living in South Africa and eating "pop"?  Can't I bring my kids on my adventure to learn to speak Spanish in Puerto Rico? Can't my children be in the audience when I accept my Oscar for Best Actress?  Is there a way to have adventure AND raise my children?

Since this conversation a few weeks ago- I have been noticing ways that living right here, in Washington, next door to my home town, raising my three kids, with little or no death defying excitement -- I can still have adventure.

And last night- I found one such adventure.  And I overcame a major fear.

That's right, that was Me- not only touching a loose, wiggly tooth, but actually pulling it out!  I am amazing! (You can tell by my reaction that I was the only person who thought I was amazing. Riley didn't even realize I had pulled it out till I found it on her tongue and  handed it to her) There I was- on a random Monday night, having dinner with my family- when an adventure struck.  An opportunity to do something I have never done before! (isn't that the very definition of adventure? "an exciting or unusual experience")  A chance to overcome a fear- and triumph.  So maybe it isn't living on a sail boat in the Pacific, or homeschooling my kids on a Safari, or moving to Hollywood to pursue a career in acting,  but I am still having adventures.

Next stop: Spiders.

(ok, ok, I have tried that one before... I will always be afraid of spiders)

Special Acknowledgements:  

Thanks to Riley for being my assistant, prop, and test child in this video and in life.

Thanks to JT for his powerful cinematography.

Thanks to my Dad for being the Master Tooth Puller. It was like hearing Yoda in the background when I realized all I had to do was twist the tooth and it would pop out. And for passing that gene on to me.

Thanks to Miss Ashlee who prepped Riley to know that it would bleed so she didn't freak out.

Thanks to my mom who helped me sew an adorable Tooth Fairy Pillow.

Thanks to everyone else who made this possible- including a Tooth Fairy that left Riley a $1 bill and two Quarters, to which Riley was excited for the quarters and Blake was excited for "the Ticket!" (which is what he called the dollar bill, apparently he will not be in the Financial Business when he grows up) 

"Riley got a ticket!"