Reality Keeps Smacking Me

Not sure if I want to sit in a puddle of tears or a puddle of wine.

Sigh.....what an incredibly long-feeling day. I can't believe I went from wait, wait, wait, wait for Brian's job to get us going and now I feel like rush, rush, rush, rush.

I took all three kids (on my own - because I somehow thought I can do anything and it will be fine) - to the doctor's office this morning. Alexander & Isabella were scheduled for physicals for our overseas journey.

My children are naturally filled with anxiety - NO idea where that comes from.......

So...for the last two days Isabella has been asking questions about the visit to the doctors and asking me to show her a MILLION times what getting your blood drawn feels like and how much is hurts or how little it hurts and how long it hurts for and EXACTLY what the doctor will be doing (which I told her that I had a GENERAL idea about and not an EXACT idea).

Alexander asked if he would get shots and I said probably not. He doesn't like "probably" because it means "possibly". So yesterday Brian explained that they would all need TB tests (which is like a shot where the doctor inserts a needle under the skin and creates a bubble with some fluid). So we dealt with 100 questions about THAT.

So....this morning was like the start of any morning. We got up - dressed, lunches packed, breakfast eaten and out the door as though it was for school. But, we (me and the kids) headed to the doctor's office for an 8:30 appointment.

It started with explanations at the front desk (yes I know it's been less than a year since their physicals, yes I know insurance won't cover it, yes it will be paid for, blah, blah, blah - just like I told the three different people I already talked to on the phone about this).

EVENTUALLY got into the doctor's office. We met with a new nurse for the new doctor we were going to see since I couldn't get in with their regular pediatrician until mid-April. It took about an hour to do paperwork. Ugh! I had files with me of things to be filled out. They were weighed, measured, asked questions of, poked and prodded.

The doctor came in and checked them all out and then found out that Alexander was due for a Chicken Pox booster. Hello waterworks from my son who is shot-phobic.

I was already dealing with a nervous Isabella who kept complaining of belly aches and was ready to throw up and was hiding in the bathroom across the hall because she didn't want any kind of shot and Cameron was a crazy child who acted like he snorted sugar before coming to the doctors office. He would run out the door and down the hall, he was flicking the lights on and off, he was ripping up the paper on the table, he threw his beloved motorcycle in the garbage which I later had to don gloves to retrieve and try my best to disinfect with hand sanitizer. He was throwing magazines.

Onto hour two and we were singing songs and trying to keep each other amused.

Ugh!

Alexander & Bella had to get their TB bubble pricks done. I held Bella down and she survived. Alexander begged to not have a shot but eventually did just fine with a quick prick in his arm and his TB prick was no problem.

We eventually finished up and headed to the lab for blood draws - yeah!

Alexander sat stoic and fine and was done in a jif.

Isabella had to be held down by me while she cried but was eventually taken care of.

Cameron freaked out and it took me and another nurse to hold my little monkey-tank down while another nurse drew his blood.

We were finally out of there by 10:45!! (over 2 hours)

I took them off to school and left with Cameron to run to a couple consignment stores to use up some credit, grab food from Trader Joe's (where Cameron rammed me poor ankle with those cute little, deadly shopping carts) and then back to school to pick up the kids.

Now it was time for our Passport appointment at 1:15. Brian met us there and I was exhausted! It took an hour for all five of us to get pictures done, fill out paperwork and get everything sealed up in an envelope for Brian to send to DC. Meanwhile - Cameron is running on chairs, scribbling on paper, flicking the lights on and off, running down the hall, marching down the hall & screaming down the hall. It was past naptime and we were both overdue.

Finally - DONE!

Time to get Alexander back to school for his Math Olympiad - after a quick stop at McDonald's because it turns out he only packed a handisnack cracker/cheese for his lunch! Ugh! So - nasty, chemical filled, protein nuggets for him along with a side of fries that will stay in his system for the rest of the month - but at least he had food.

Then it was off to Goodwill to drop off what the consignment store didn't take, a trip to the Car Wash, load up on $3.72/gallon gas (won't miss that in Abu Dhabi) and HOME!!!!

Cameron fell asleep in the car and slept for all of 40 minutes and now we are home until Alexander has a soccer game at 7:30 (which Brian is taking him to while I clean house for people coming over in the morning).

So - we go back on Saturday afternoon for the kids to have their TB spots checked, then I have my physical next Wednesday, Cameron has his physical next Wednesday, Brian has his next Friday. But that should be it for appointments, I think.

Whew!