Bring Me the Amoxicillin . . .

So in the middle of this hectic week, life decided to remind me that at the end of the day, I'm still a mom. Son #2 came down with an ear infection. The pain caused a sobbing breakdown this morning which convinced me to head to the ER. Hoping my husband could pull some strings.

It doesn't hurt to be married to a Lt. Colonel. He managed to trade some expedited ER service for an expedited CT scan . . . bottom line was we got the little man in and out faster than you can imagine. No waiting in the ER waiting room with the other sickies. Diagnosed and prescribed before they even finished taking his vitals. Thank you, honey.

Of course, being a mom, I could have made this diagnosis without the degree. I'm just saying . . .

*****

Downside is that he doesn't have the same pull with pharmacy. So we took at number (187) and waited (they were on 130). As we waited, his pain increased. His sobbing increased. His tolerance for anything decreased.

Don't touch me. Don't talk to me. When is our number going to be called? Why is this taking so long? Don't keep asking me questions. I already said that. I don't want to say that again. My ear hurts. When is our number going to be called?

He was doing it in his loudest voice. I was getting some annoyed looks, but most were sympathetic. I happened to catch one woman's eye and she smiled, very sympathetically.

And then, it happened. I started to giggle. And he got more pathetic. Which only gave me the giggles more. I mean, I couldn't have scripted this level of patheticness. So I giggled more. And he sobbed and complained louder. And finally, I was giggling so much, tears were coming out of my eyes.

He turned to me and said, in his most pathetic voice (which he had perfected, by this point) "What are you laughing at, Mom?"

The man next to me said "She's laughing at me." Son #2 didn't buy it.

I said "I'm laughing at a joke." He looked at me with his sad face and said "I HATE jokes."

Which just made me giggle harder.

I managed to compose myself before they called my number, and we got our prescriptions without further incident. Fifteen minutes after an initial dose of them all, he was in a sprightly mood and playing his GameBoy. That is the beauty of children . . .

*****

So now my child is fed, medicated, watching cartoons, and hanging with the au pair. I'm on my way back to the office.

To deal with the rest of the children.

Respectfully submitted,

The Wife