What a day!

Today the kids both had flu shots scheduled at 10:45am. I figured that we could go to the gym and then head over the doctor's office. I promised Payton that if she was good we could have lunch at McDonald's for a reward because Payton was NOT looking forward to getting a shot. Somehow this wonderful little plan went hugely off track. I picked the Ian up from the gym's child center, and he was usual self, waving good-bye to everyone and giving me hugs. Then we pick up Payton and at first she seemed fine, but then said that her ear hurt. I asked her if she got hit and she said that she had run into another child. So, I didn't think much of it.....at first. We get to the car and I let Ian crawl up in the front seat while I put Payton into her car seat. She's still complaining about her ear. Ian meanwhile is pretending to drive the car and is quite pleased with himself. Of course, this must end because I have to put him in his car seat. He is not so pleased with this idea. He kicks and screams. I have to hold him down to buckle him in. We start off to the doctor's office which is only a 10 minute drive from the gym and Ian will not stop screaming. Tears are streaming down his face. He's turning red and just whaling at the top of his lungs. I'm trying to play some of his favorite songs. When that doesn't work, I start threatening him. That doesn't work. He continues on his little tirade. Payton, in meantime, randomly cries out and says that her ear hurts. Ian screams the ENTIRE way to the doctor's office. We get there and Ian calms down when I get him out of the car. Payton is trying to be good, but I can tell, she just doesn't feel well. We get in the waiting room and Ian starts to play with a train set and Payton has to go to the potty. So I have to pry the semi-content Ian away from his playing. His screaming commences immediately. The nice lady working the front desk said she would watch Ian, so I let him wander back to the train table knowing full well once he realizes I'm gone, he will start his screaming again - but there's always hope. I take Payton to the restroom and can hear the screaming coming down the hall from the waiting room, so I go get Ian. When I get back to Payton, she's in tears because I left her. Two very unhappy kids, one mom is disbelief. It's times like these when you wish you could remove yourself from the situation, but you know there is just no way out. Therefore you resign yourself and just push through the turmoil knowing that eventually everything will get better.

Two unhappy kids and I go back to the waiting room. Strangers and nurses are giving me the 'I'm-so-sorry-look' and ask if they can help. Ian was probably tired and rebelling, so there wasn't too much I could do for him except try to distract him. Books worked a little bit, but finally the train won him back over and he was better. Payton sat in my lap and laid her head against my chest and said, 'I want to take a nap.' Payton NEVER wants to take naps. This started to make me worry. The story of the 3 year old boy who hit his head, laid down for a nap, and never woke up always plays through my mind when the kids hit their heads. So I rush over to the nice lady at the front desk and tell her Payton's story and that now she wants a nap. The nice lady's eyes get a little bigger, as if she understands my concern, and says that they will get her looked at soon. We settle back into the waiting room and I tell Payton she has to stay awake. Of course, she answers, 'Why?'

We make it into the examination room and eventually the doctor comes. She is extremely nice and looks in Payton's ear. Evidently some people are blessed with an abundance of ear wax and some are not. Payton is one that is blessed, poor child. Because every time a doctor has to look in her ears, she has to get them cleaned out. She hates this. The doctor sticks the ear cleaning thing in her ear about half a dozen times before she can finally see what she's looking for. Payton kept saying, 'Mommy, I'm done! I'm done!' Sure enough, Payton has an ear infection, and evidently it's not uncommon for ear infections to come on super fast like this. Who knew?

I was happy with this diagnosis because at least she didn't have any inner ear trauma from running into a kid at the YMCA. But we were not done. We still had to get two flu shots. Payton was first and the nurse nor I was holding down the leg she was getting the shot in. Her reaction to the shot was a nice kick of the leg she was getting it in. That nurse stuck the entire needle into Payton's little thigh. It was probably about and inch and a half long. She was screaming and saying 'That hurt!' Ian was next. He, at least, didn't take as long for him to get over the shot. They both finally settled down about the same time.

I carried both kids out of the office and to the car. They were both exhausted. Neither one of them was hungry, and they both fell asleep on the way home. Unfortunately, Ian woke up when he got home. Payton took a two hour nap. Ian didn't sleep anymore, so he's been grumpier than Payton today. Ah, such is life. Tomorrow will be better (I hope).