Doctor, Doctor

Ah, there's just nothing like a trip to the doctor with the whole clan of kiddos.

Our grand adventure started as we were getting out of the van and suddenly Blake started screaming as though he had just lost an arm or something. I came running to his side of the car to see what had happened. I was seriously expecting to see blood and carnage everywhere.

It was not a limb that he lost--it was a matchbox car. (Seriously, I think losing a limb would have caused less pain and heartache.) Blake had managed to accidently drop his car right into the drainage hole for the gutters. He wanted me to get it for him, but when I explained that I couldn't and it was gone forever, he lost his very last fragment of sanity.

He screamed.

He wailed.

He turned purple with despair.

So we went inside the doctor's office, where Blake's misery never subsided. The receptionists and nurses just assumed that Blake was the sick one, as opposed to Nathan, who was sweet and placid and angelic. (If they'd known us at all, they would know that "sweet," "placid," and "angelic" are sure signs that Nathan isn't feeling well...)

So, once we go back to the exam room to wait for the doctor, Blake was still screaming. Then Isaac decided to scream too--he was sick of his carseat, but I couldn't exactly hold him in that exact moment. Seconds later, Madeleine somehow managed to slam the door... on... her... lips. No, I have NO IDEA how she managed that. But now Madeleine was screaming too. The doctor comes in and she tells me that I need to hold Nathan for her to examine him. Nathan doesn't want to be held. Now Nathan was screaming.

The good news is that Nathan doesn't have ear infections or strep. His fever was 101 and he has a touch of RSV and a nasty sore throat, but nothing serious--just enough to make him miserable. Poor little guy.

Finally, we left the doctor's office. I think they were as relieved as I was that we were getting out of there. As I was leaving, the doctor said to me, "you know, you're doing a GREAT job." I thought it was the weirdest thing to say until I realize that she was probably afraid that I was on my way to drive the van right off a cliff. Hahahahaha.

Once home,their sweet Daddy helped Blake forget about his precious car by playing trains with him. What a sweet Dad. He knows how to make everything all better--for all of us.




And then, once everyone else had gone to bed, Nathan threw himself into his Daddy's arms and would have gladly stayed there all night. Cute.