In case you were wanting to feel better about your pre-pubescent years, in honor of Flashback Friday (still a thing? people seem to be all up on the Throwback Thursday business), and recycling I present to you ... clueless Grace at age 10.
She was genuinely confused when everyone asked if she was missing her two front teeth? Oh no, these are them.
SMILE.
I know I've posted it before but Julia and I were clicking around old photos recently when stopped at this one.
I told her this was me a long, long time ago and she just stared for a long time and then finally said, "wow, Grace." Sebastian walked up and asked about the toys in, "that girl's mouth."
I know.
Yes, two front teeth - not missing some rogue front middle tooth. But I had an expansion plate (I hope they don't use those anymore! painful!) and it most certainly took it's job seriously. Teeth and nose expanded. And expanded. And expanded.
The story has a happy ending and my teeth look slightly less ... THAT these days but the road was long and slightly scary.
Happy Friday to you and yours. Happy thirty-something to me.
Thanks for indulging my little trek down the happiest of memory lanes.
Now go have yourself a rowdy weekend and drink something strong for me.
CHEERS.
She was genuinely confused when everyone asked if she was missing her two front teeth? Oh no, these are them.
SMILE.
I know I've posted it before but Julia and I were clicking around old photos recently when stopped at this one.
I told her this was me a long, long time ago and she just stared for a long time and then finally said, "wow, Grace." Sebastian walked up and asked about the toys in, "that girl's mouth."
I know.
Yes, two front teeth - not missing some rogue front middle tooth. But I had an expansion plate (I hope they don't use those anymore! painful!) and it most certainly took it's job seriously. Teeth and nose expanded. And expanded. And expanded.
The story has a happy ending and my teeth look slightly less ... THAT these days but the road was long and slightly scary.
Happy Friday to you and yours. Happy thirty-something to me.
Thanks for indulging my little trek down the happiest of memory lanes.
Now go have yourself a rowdy weekend and drink something strong for me.
CHEERS.
They definitely do still use expanders! I had one in middle school and agree that it was cruel to put a kid through. I'm currently working with a high school student who has one now at the same time as braces. Ouch. But at least we all make it through somehow!
ReplyDeleteBarely ;)
DeleteI am pretty dense, and so totally missed the point of your post. Happy birthday!
DeleteI'm getting the feeling from this post that today is your birthday...????
ReplyDeleteIf so, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
If not...well, Happy Birthday early or late!
Thanks Heather!!
DeleteHappiest of Happiest Birthdays my sweet friend! I too had an expander in my 30's mind you...yes very painful indeed. Enjoy your day my friend!!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday! And maybe that Bachelorette spoiler was wrong--they got it completely wrong in Des's season!
ReplyDeleteThey do still use expansion plates. I had one as a sophomore in high school and would get the most awful headaches after expanding each day.
ReplyDeleteI accidentally saw some Bachelorette spoilers as well and I'm really hoping that they will turn out to be wrong!
Happy Birthday!
Happiest of birthdays! You still pass for, at most 29 ;)
ReplyDeleteHa!! I'll take it :)
ReplyDeleteThank you!
I totally had an expander too. Death to the expanding of my jaw. Thankfully they thought it didn't do it's business so I had a wire put up there that permanently left a zig zag line in my tongue. "oh it will grow back" they said....all lies.
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday!
ReplyDeleteHapppppy birthday!
ReplyDeleteI had an expansion plate that I stopped wearing at some point. (I'm sure my parents were pleased to have shelled out all that money for nothing.) I think at one point I "accidentally" left it on the McDonald's tray and it got thrown in the trash, and we had to turn around on the turnpike to go rescue it.
ReplyDeleteI had two rows of front teeth on the bottom. I've had this very obnoxious wire down there as a permanent retainer ever since I got my braces removed at age 19 (yes, I had braces in my student id photo all through college ...) and while it's a PAIN to clean around I'm terrified to have it taken out because I have no idea what my teeth will drift around and do if it's gone.
And happy happy birthday!!
DeleteHappy Happy Happy Birthday!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteAw. Without struggle, there is no beauty. And you are beautiful! Happy birthday :)
ReplyDeleteWow lady! Julia looks very much like you in this pic.
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday!
ReplyDeleteAnd oh, I have worse pictures. Really. There was an "oversized sweatshirt with RED ice skate print leggings" phase. It was... well, it was bad.
And I totally agree with the Fridge above- Julia looks like you in this one.
Thanks for a great big toothy (toothless?) Friday smile!
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm with Julia. Wow. Just wow.
And Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday!
ReplyDeleteHAPPY DAY OF BIRTH! And the expanders, the worst thing in the world! Mine gap got so big I could fit my thumb through it! And the fact that my mother was willing to crank that little key in there and twist it is beyond me. haha! Anyway, it all worked out for you you gorgeous thing you!
ReplyDeleteI was seriously laughing out loud reading this. You're awesome. Happy birthday!
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday, scrapbook-proposal-on-your-birthday-in-July buddy!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Grace!!!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Grace, though now we all know your beauty secrets: extensive dental work and who else knows what other cosmetic surgeries younger Grace had. Those are the only possibilities for your super human ability to have a baby and look stunning within minutes of birth ;) (1.5 yrs postpartum and I'm begging for this to be true because you are unreal lady...!)
ReplyDeleteHope your day includes a drink or two and some quiet house time! Cheers!
Happy birthday, Grace!
ReplyDeleteIs an expansion plate a thing they put on the roof of your mouth and then crank twice a day? If so, I had one too. In middle school. Everyone would sing, "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth." It was cruel. And I'm still not sure what purpose it served.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday!!!!
Happy Birthday Grace!!
ReplyDeleteOH my gosh, expansion plate - I HAD ONE. SO HORRIBLE!
ReplyDeleteHappy Third 29th Birthday!!! And I know all about the horrors of orthodontics. Oh, do I know.
ReplyDeleteI had an expansion plate too, but braces at the same time...? So, no gap. But pain, yes.
ReplyDeleteHAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Happy anniversary of your 29th birthday! :-)
ReplyDeleteHope Simon spoiled you with a poopy-diaper free day!
Happy Birthday!!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday! And oh ouch! I remember my expander! Those things are horrible!
ReplyDeleteHey, we share a birthday! But you've had a lot less of them than I have. :)
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday!
Happiest Birthday, Grace!!!
ReplyDeleteHappy day, sweet and lovely Grace! This gives me hope for Jack, who has a gap the size of... well, bigger than yours was, between his two front teeth. If he can turn out half as beautiful and smart as you, I'll be a happy mama.
ReplyDeleteI dare you to Google "the herbst appliance." The thing had two knobby hinges that pinched your cheeks and made you look like you had two gumballs lodged in your lower lip. No joke. Let's just say I had an expansion plate and THEN the herbst. Seriously. AKA: Medieval torture device.
ReplyDeleteHoly moly I have never met anyone else who had a Herbst appliance! I too had the expander and missing tooth look, and then the Herbst for years and years with braces. At one point I had braces, Herbst, and half the expander, all at the same time. The worst was when you'd yawn and the little bars would fall apart. Ugh.
DeleteHappy birthday! You know what comes from rough sauce? Swans, baby, swans ;)
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday! Thanks for making me laugh.
ReplyDeletehaha best picture ever! happy birthday, grace!!
ReplyDeleteOh man, too funny. Happy Birthday!
ReplyDeleteI HATED the palate expander! And it had to be cranked every night... the worst.
ReplyDeleteand Happy Happy Birthday!!
Love the picture! Happy belated birthday!
ReplyDelete