What was I thinking????

I went to kiss Amanda goodbye as she headed to school with Scott yesterday and I noticed that her right eye was weepy and beet red. I asked her what happened. Her response, "Nothing, Mom." Typical 13 year old...ugh! So, I tell Scott to wait and I drag Amanda in the bathroom, make her take off her contacts and put on her glasses. She was livid at the thought that she had to go to school with glasses on. Heaven forbid! I think she'd rather have plucked her eye out with a spoon. So, after telling her that I was in charge, she pouted out the door, glasses on her face.

When I picked her up in the afternoon, the weepy eye was almost closed shut, red and just plain gross. This morning I happened to have an appointment for the little ones to go to the doctor, so I called the doctor's office and asked if Amanda could be seen at the same time. Of course, it was no problem, since I think we have purchased the doctor's BMW from all our visits.

Bright and early today, I trot into the doctors office with my brood following. The appointment was scheduled right at naptime, so I knew it wouldn't be a fun one. After finding seats for everyone, I sat pondering whether I should give the little ones a heads up that it was a "shot" day. Two for the boys, and four for Anna Grace, since she is still catching up. I figured I wouldn't since the crying would start then and there.

About 20 minutes later, we are called in. We take up the entire hallway where everyone is weighed, measured, and temps taken. (By the way, they ALL weigh 27 lbs and are within an inch of each other.)

The nurse then herds us into an examining room. This particular room had, of course, only 1 toy in it. Sharing is still a learning process, especially for AJ. I brought toys and some other stuff to entertain them all, but as expected, they all wanted the new toy. Some may call my next move cruel, but it stopped the screaming. In the midst of their arguing over who touches which button, I stopped them and told them that I had something to important to say. The 3 little faces froze and looked at me. Kai immediately said, "Shot?" Well, at that point, I couldn't lie. So, I said, "Yes, everyone is getting a shot today. BUT....it will be fast! A REAL fast one!" Then, the crying began. It stared with Kai, then Anna Grace followed, and AJ had really no idea why everyone was crying, but once one does it, they all do. So, he joined in.

Fortunately, the nurse came in. I sat Kai on my lap and told the two younger ones to watch what a big boy Kai was. Ummm.....wrong! He wailed and screamed bloody murder. Next was AJ. I gotta say. This little guy is so darn tough. No crying. The needle went in as I held him against me and told him, "We're almost done." He said, "Done?" By the time I answered. It was over. He hardly whimpered.

Anna Grace, and righteously so, screamed till I thought the veins in her neck would explode. She got two shots in each arm. It broke my heart because she kept saying over and over, "Mama! Mama! Mama!" Poor baby.

Finally it was over. The doctor came in and agreed with my motherly diagnosis that Amanda had pink eye. We got our prescription and we were off to the pharmacy for more Motrin (note to self: buy stock!) and Amanda's eye drops.

So, now I sit here with a teenager whining that her eye itches and me reminding her every few minutes not to touch it and to go wash her hands again. And with 3 little ones with fevers ranging from 100.5 to 102, and all of them cranky, whiney and crying. Ahhhh yes, the joys of motherhood.

What was I thinking when I scheduled all 3 of them for vaccinations on the same day?