Fun at the Mecklenburg County Health Dept.

Stupid swine flu.

No, the boys don't have it, and (knock on wood) after today, shouldn't get it, but boy was it a pain in my rear today.

For whatever reason, our pediatrician's office had neither the seasonal nor the H1N1 vaccine for the boys this year. So we got the regular flu shots at the grocery store and scheduled appointments for the H1N1 at the health department. (Is it just me or is there something wrong with the fact that our doctor didn't have flu shots, but Harris Teeter had shots-aplenty?)

Our health department appointments were scheduled for this morning. Our plan for Brian to go with me was cancelled this morning, when poor Brian (still suffering from a weekend back sprain) could barely get out of bed and certainly couldn't hold a screaming kid. I wasn't about to cancel this appointment, so what's a girl to do? Beg her cleaning lady to go with her! What luck that today was Maria's twice-monthly visit. THANK YOU Maria.

So Maria and I get the boys over to the H1N1 vaccine clinic. Kind of like the DMV (we were even given a number), but full of squawking kids. We were instructed to follow a maze of folding chairs barely wide enough for a person to walk through, let alone for a single and double stroller (my apologies to everyone whose toes I ran over). I filled out a mound of of paperwork (in quadruplicate) and we waited and waited, and the boys finished their juices and wanted more, and threw down the books I brought for them, and wanted snacks, and most importantly, wanted UP UP UP UP NO STROLLER UP UP UP UP WAAAAAH UP WAAAH BYE BYE UP UP HOME HOME WAAAH UP UP. Finally we hear "number 800? " Our turn!

The nurse gave me a dose of the nasal mist, which felt like, well nothing.

Cooper (who didn't qualify for the mist this year) took his injection like a champ. A little screaming, but we got him calmed down pretty quickly.

While waiting for his turn, Charlie's whining had turned into a full-blown-back-arching tantrum (thank god for stroller seat belts). And when it was his turn, the nurse had to call for backup. It took 2 nurses, plus me to hold Charlie down. And he thrashed so hard while the nurse was giving him the mist that he got a bloody nose. (Which completely freaked the nurse out, and had to call for yet another nurse to come over.) And after it was over, as I was holding him, trying to calm him down, he kept saying "Dak turn! Dak turn!" Such brotherly love, I tell you.

As for Zach, well he seemed to enjoy the mist. When it was over he asked for more.

And that was that. At least until we have to go back in January for round 2. Can't wait!

Cat Herder

So I've been a total blogging slacker lately. The reason? Because someone is slipping espresso into the boys juice cups. Have you heard of those children that sit nicely and color while mommy does things around the house? THOSE CHILDREN DO NOT LIVE HERE.

Actually, although busy, things are great here on Columbine Cir. (Yes, Columbine Circle. We also considered a house on Waco Lane and another on Hell Ave. This one had a nicer yard.) The boys are pretty well settled into the new digs, and they went trick-or-treating (for the first time!) in our new neighborhood last week. Our lion, tiger and giraffe were thrilled to take their "purses" door-to-door asking for treats.

Halloween morning we took the boys to a pumpkin patch, where they synchronized swam in a vat of corn, chatted with farm animals, and took a wagon ride. Oh, and Cooper ran away. Not that this is a new thing -- Cooper is a runner. If he isn't secured to someone's hand, he runs. Fast and without looking back. I especially love it when my little explorer pulls this when I'm out solo with the boys. But lately, Charlie's been helping me out. "Poodah hold hand! Poodah hold hand!" he says to Magellan. Charlie takes one of Cooper's hands, and I take the other. Zach grabs my other hand. We're very working hard on this hand-holding stuff. So far, so good...

In addition to his parking lot duties, Charlie's become our hall monitor. Example: from the tub today, I heard: "Poodah don't eat soap!!" And earlier he told me "don't bite friends." Thanks for the reminder, buddy. I had almost forgotten.

We had a bit of unfortunate excitement this weekend. Brian had back spasms (he's fine now, just pretty stiff and sore), and the boys and I took him to Urgent Care at the crack of dawn this morning. I drove the van up to the entrance and ran in and asked for a wheelchair. A woman brought the chair to the van, and as the boys watched Daddy being wheeled away, their concern became evident. "Da da bye bye stroller????" Oh no!!! Why in the world is daddy in a stroller? Where is he going? Are we going to My Gym? Want juice! Juice? Chocolate milk? Ahhh.... the empathy of two-year-olds.