Thursday, March 12, 2009 ;
9:59 AM
After the school field trip, on the bus back to school, I received a call from the school nurse!
The kids were very very noisy on the bus, so all I could hear was that ds2 had fallen down during PE, hit his lips, and knocked out a tooth. She spoke in Chinese. She said the lips have stopped bleeding now, and she has put some ice to it. But the tooth needs dental attention.
So I said ok, I am on the way to school right now, and will go take a look first.
After that I felt uneasy. A mother is always like that. Although I know this is not a matter of life and death, I was still worried. I kept thinking about the tooth and what she said, whether it got ripped out of the gums or what.
When I reached school, I still helped the kids back to the kindy class before I went to the Nurse's Station.
Ahh, the angel. He was sitting on the couch, quiet as a mouse, reading some Magic School Bus books and Transformer books. In fact, the nurse gave him a whole basketful of books.
I looked at his mouth. Phew. Not as bad as I envisioned. Just a chip! Good, good. I think the nurse thought I was crazy, being so happy to have my son's tooth chipped off.
The lip was swollen and bruised then. See pic below. Today it turned purple (like a blue-black bruise) and his chin has those road rage bruises too. A pus-filled ulcer started forming on the lip too, so I cooked porridge for him today.
The tooth pic turned out so blur and I didn't even review it then because I was listening to the nurse tell me her recommendations for dentists to visit.
Now, it's too late to take another pic cos the dentist has smoothened the chipped area. As you can see, a corner of the upper incisor got chipped off. The edges were very sharp, and the nurse was worried about the tooth's alignment and whether the nerves were affected.
I wiggled his tooth and it wasn't shaky, still I thought I should let a dentist check it out.
She gave me this address and phone number and said it was popular with the expats and is very clean and child-friendly.
When I got back to the parents' room where the other moms were, I found out that dental clinic is way overpriced. It charges 1000+rmb for a cleaning, a teacher went there before. That's S$200+. No way. And another mom brought her child to extract a tooth and it cost 6000rmb (S$1200). Huh??!?
Sof's mom said she was planning to bring Sof for a dental checkup anyway and that clinic is also very clean and child-friendly, so we could go together. Fortunately I followed her.
Dh was in school for a concert rehearsal too, with the music teachers. So I waited for him and for ds1 to be dismissed before we all went to the dentist together.
The dentist was indeed very friendly, very polite, very nice. I carried ds2 and sat with him on the chair. He checked the tooth and then ground the edges to smoothen and level out the chipped area somewhat. Then it was done! He said the nerves were not affected, and it was not in danger of falling out.
consultation plus treatment = 30rmb.
first time registration fee = 10rmb
total = 40rmb (S$8)
Wow!!! For the immaculately clean 2 storey clinic, nil waiting time, professional dentist and nurses, friendly receptionist and good facilities? I think I am beginning to like living here just a little bit more.
Dh was so happy the clinic is near this BaiNaoHui (something like Sim Lim Sq in Spore), so we had to go shopping with him. Kids and I waited and snacked at McDonalds while he shopped. I wanted to go to Dian Fang Yuan which is right there (HK restaurant) but it was closed. So McDs again, so sian.
Other misc stuff:
With the changing in seasons, all of us kind of have sniffling noses. Dh claimed he has caught the German flu too, cos he is coughing and all. He shared a room with the German client at MudanJiang cos the hotel had no more rooms even though they booked ahead of time. And he said the German guy had a bad case of flu, and was already sick when he arrived in China. So silly Dh kept saying he has the German flu (like German measles).
The veggie stall seller highly recommended this lotus bud (correct term?). Stir fry, steam or boil, she says it all helps in reducing phelgm and preventing coughs/ colds/ flu. So I bought it and boiled it till it softened and coloured the water, and then added rock sugar. Dh drank more than half of it. I drank the rest. We ate the buds.
Still not so sure about the verdict. Dh is getting better but he was already on the road to recovery.
Previous UOI was on Homes and ds1 chose to write a report on log cabins. They could choose to be assessed on a oral presentation, a 3D model (can use Lego, bricks, whatever), or written report. They could choose any type of home too. Igloo, mansion, flat...
I was rather surprised with ds1's choice of words. I asked if he did it himself in school. He said yes. He wrote everything on a 1st draft, they edited it together with the teachers, then he copied it out again to make the poster.
Here's what he wrote:
You build a log cabin by alternately putting the logs in place.
Log houses have mud in between the alternate logs.
People carve notches in logs so they get strong. Log houses are built in forests where there are lots of trees.
I asked him several Qs, like why should there be mud in between the logs (keep wind out) and why should there be notches (so the logs won't roll off each other), and he was able to answer. Looks like the teachers are doing a very good job indeed. They are learning independently, researching and finding out a lot of info on their own, like what the teachers said the desired outcomes for the students are.
Finally, the kids keep changing their sleeping positions at night. Sometimes they get really funny and this is one instance.
Poor ds1 was breathing heavily as he had to heave his chest against the weight of his brother. Not to mention bearing with the smell of his bum and feet. haha.
Now we know who the tyrant is. Even in his sleep he bullies his older brother!
And ds1 has his peculiar habit. No matter what the weather is, like freezing cold and I feel my toes being so chilly, ds1 will not sleep with his socks on. I always wait till he falls asleep and then wear them for him. If he is awake, he will never want them on. He claims he cannot fall asleep with socks on. ??
rainbows every day, do not worry for the morrow
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The tooth pic turned out so blur and I didn't even review it then because I was listening to the nurse tell me her recommendations for dentists to visit.
I was rather surprised with ds1's choice of words. I asked if he did it himself in school. He said yes. He wrote everything on a 1st draft, they edited it together with the teachers, then he copied it out again to make the poster.
And ds1 has his peculiar habit. No matter what the weather is, like freezing cold and I feel my toes being so chilly, ds1 will not sleep with his socks on. I always wait till he falls asleep and then wear them for him. If he is awake, he will never want them on. He claims he cannot fall asleep with socks on. ??
