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What A Difference A Day Makes

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It is positively AMAZING what 65 degrees will do for a girl’s spirits.  Yesterday was gloomy and chilly, and we spent the better part of our morning at the doctor’s office.  Today it’s sunny and mild, and it didn’t hurt that I got to sleep in till almost 10am.  I feel like a new woman.

The trip to the doctor’s yesterday about did me in.  I knew in my heart of hearts that my daughter wasn’t THAT sick, but she was on her 3rd day of a fever, and since we were going into the weekend I thought I ought to call.  And OF COURSE they wanted to see her.  I mean, what does a mom know, right?  I know.  Liability, schmiability.

If you had witnessed the scene after I informed my 6-year-old that we were going to the doctor, you’d think I had just threatened to chop the head off her favorite American Girl doll.  Evidently the stint at the emergency room at Christmastime where she had to endure a blood draw and a throat swab has scarred her for life.

Finally I managed to convince her that the pediatrician wouldn’t hurt her and if she went with me cooperatively we could have McDonalds for lunch.  Bribery — a mom’s best friend. That should be my tagline.

After sitting in the sick waiting room for 20 minutes and threatening the girls within an inch of their lives if they touched ANYTHING, we were ushered into the examining room where, as I suspected, the pediatrician deemed the fever and cough due to a common virus and instructed us to load her up with Tylenol and fluids and lots of rest and to call if anything worsened.  Gotta love plunking down $10 to tell you what you knew already, but peace of mind, I suppose, is priceless.

On our way out, we passed an elderly woman with a cane.  As we walked by, 3-year-old R said inquisitively, “MOM.  Why she hab dat ting?”

I quietly explained that it gave her stability to help her walk, as I picked up my pace in a vain attempt to make our escape before the bomb dropped.  I knew we were treading on dangerous ground with this line of questioning.  I wasn’t disappointed.

Before we were out of earshot, 6-year-old C replied in her loudest voice, “It’s because she’s OLD!”  At which point I promptly sunk into the floor and died of mortal embarrassment.

And I wonder why I am sprouting gray hairs at an alarming rate.

We did manage to survive the rest of the day, and today everyone is feeling much better.  The windows are open, the birds are singing, and I have this peculiar urge to plant flowers.  Unfortunately that urge never lasts long enough to get me to the garden center and back.  Which is why my yard is the only one in the neighborhood that looks dormant in the dead of summer.  But that’s another post for another time.

I’m finally going to see He’s Just Not That Into you tonight.  I rounded up some girlfriends because my husband would rather stick his finger in an electric socket than view a movie starring both Jennifer Aniston and Drew Barrymore.  I can’t wait to see it.  Even if it is a cheesy chick flick, I have the soundtrack committed to memory and I plan to enjoy it in its full glory.  And frankly, the movie could be a documentary about spiders as long as I am in a dark theater surrounded by adults and holding a bag of buttery popcorn.

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25 Responses

  1. I prefer to call it “positive reinforcement” instead of bribery. Whatever works. And my hubby did go with me to that one ~ good decision for yours to not. Ha

  2. Today has been beautiful. LL was out & about all morning and early afternoon that he is still napping. We are off to dinner as a fam tonight and hopefully can get a walk in.

    have a fun time with the girls tonight!

  3. Thanks for the chuckles today:

    “you’d think I had just threatened to chop the head off her favorite American Girl doll.”

    and

    “Bribery — a mom’s best friend. That should be my tagline.”

  4. i;m 43 and i have to use a walker sometimes due to arthritis. i have been asked by children why i have that and i always tell them it makes me go faster. of course, i do have it all tricked out with purple glitter handlebars and rainbow steamers, so you can’t help but notice it!

  5. I am loving the warm’er weather over here too! I mentioned on my blog that me and the boys are friends again LOL It’s nice to let them make a mess somewhere where it doesn’t matter!

    You’ll have to tell us how the movie is, I want to see it, but would just hate to shell out $8 and find out it’s lame…

  6. No fair. Send some of the 65 degree weather my way. It’s still cold here and spastic weather: hail, rain, snow…lovely. So ready for spring! You’ll have to let us know how the movie was 🙂

  7. What did you think of the movie? My sister (Erin) and I went to see it a few Fridays ago…

  8. My son had the exact same virus last weekend. He came home Thursday from school with a fever and he was still feverish on Monday morning. But I refused to give my doctor another $25 for the “It’s just a virus” diagnosis. At least your co-pay is only $10!

  9. I’m glad to hear the kiddos are feeling better. I actually did the same doctor’s office visit last week (minus the sweet lady with the cane!). When my 5 year old learned that they wanted to stick a swab in her throat, she clenched her jaw with the strength of 10 pit bulls. I promptly bribed her with McDonald’s and she opened her mouth. Bribery is highly underrated. 🙂

    Enjoy the warm weather!

  10. I’ve never been grateful that my mom is handicapped, except for those exact situations. Princess just thinks that a cane, walker, wheelchair means that a person has bad boo-boos just like her grandma. The only thing I have to worry about is if she decided to tell the person that “My grandma waddles too!” Luckily they usually see the kind, understanding smile on her face and get a good chuckle out of this cute kid of mine.

  11. I would have gone to the doctor too, even if I knew it was nothing serious. So frustrating! We are battling illness here too, and at 30 dollars a visit I make sure we are sick before going to the doctor. Unfortunately, I might have to cave and take myself when Husband gets home. Our crazy weather is aggravating allergies here. Ugh.

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