TV vs. TB

It has been such a long time since I have posted....I feel guilty. But, I have not been inspired to write lately. We are missing our Daddy very much these days. However, I recently experienced one of those Mommy days....you know...the ones you really do not want to deal with? We all have those, and I can see you nodding (well not really, but I can visualize it). This day it was time for my son Gareth, our middle child, to get his Kindergarten physical/check up. I can hear you saying "oh, now I know why it was 'one of those days'!"...LOL Yes, shots! We all love those! We absolutely look forward to these days....am I right Mommies? LOL  It seems, that you never can really accurately predict what the response to these shots is going to be. Thus, the "Mommy Dread"! On this day, Little Sis Maybelle-Elizabeth needed a check up as well. Two for one! These are even more fun! She was a little behind on her shots (yes, after you have three kids....you kind of lose track!). So, off we go to the doctor...dread and all.

Nurse Kay and I decide that it would be best to let Maybelle go first. Gareth's last visit (in which he recieved two shots) didn't go too well. I am of the mind, and so is my husband, that it is best to break the shots up instead of giving them all at once. So, yes! yes! yes! Gareth knew what was coming! And, we didn't want Mabs to see his reaction and then ruin it for her....LOL Or rather, ruin it for me! I can handle one screaming child with my arm tied behind my back and imaginary earplugs. I consider myself a pro.....yes, I do! I may not actually be....but someone has to build me up here. A mother needs confidence in her abilities! LOL However, two screaming childen....well, I don't do so good under these circumstances. So...... Mabs is just perfect! Not a peep, or a flinch. Well, not until the bandaid was put on. Then it was "take it off....PLEEEEAAASSSEEEEE" and crying and begging. Then once we go to take the bandaid off, it was "No, DONT TOUCH IT"...LOL So, we left it alone. With her, sometimes that is best! Afterall, she is a female and she knows what she wants! Am I right Mommies? Yes, those of us that have girls.... I can see you nodding! LOL

Gareth, during this time, knows what is coming and makes a v-line for underneath the examination table. Our nurse is so patient and understanding. I look at her and smile. She looks at me and smiles. We exchange a few words. Something like "Please tell me that my child is not the only one who does this?" . She replies, "No, it happens all of the time and sometimes worse. Don't worry about it." Well, how can I not worry about it. It was't what he was doing that I was worried about, it was me that I was worried about. I needed to keep my cool! For, now is not the time or the place to get into a screaming match with my son, or lose my temper! LOL  Sometimes that is hard to do, keeping your cool. Remember, I already have one screaming, unhappy child due to a little band-aid! Gareth, at this point, starts yelling at our nurse, "I don't want a shot!", and "I don't like that. It hurts!" and, "I don't want to go to Kindegarten". There is nothing more challenging than trying to have a conversation with a five year old who is screaming, and trying to reason with that same five year old while trying to remail calm and collected. There wasn't anything I could say to him other than "yes, it is going to hurt. But, we all have to get shots. Even Mommy had to get these. Big brother Phelan had to get the same shots in order to go to Kindergarten". I wasn't getting a different response, so my last resort was to just grab him and drag him out from underneath the table. (Time is of the essence....there are patients waiting! And, of course everyone can hear him yelling!) Once out from under the table, I had to restrain him on my lap. First shot, screaming and yelling at Kay. Telling her all of the same as above, but begging her not to give him another one...."please, please, please (can you hear the sobbing) don't give me another shot. I don't want another shot. Please, please, please!" At this point, I want to cry. Oh the joys of Motherhood. We have to put our children through pain just so they can be healthy! I am trying to reason with him. "Gareth, stay calm. Relax. Look, when you tense up, it hurts worse and it will bleed."  Second shot...done! He is still screaming. I am holding him tightly telling him, "you need to calm down. You need to relax. If you don't relax it makes it hurt even more. You can't tense up your muscles. It makes you bleed. Please relax Gareth. For Mommy. Please relax. It is almost over. I love you. Just one more to go. You have to get your TB shot/test. Please calm down. If you calm down, it won't hurt as much. This all you have left. Once this is over, you are finished forever!" Is this true? Probably not! But, I wanted to say anything I could at this point to make him stop screaming and crying.  Miraculously, he relaxes! AMEN! He closes his eyes and stops crying! Just a little sniffle, but nothing else. Done! Over with! Our nurse looks at him and says "Didn't that hurt?" And he replies, "No! It didn't hurt!" (I have to explain something about my son.....he will do things just to spite you. So, this was said with a fierceness and with an attitude like "I'll show you! You can't hurt me!") Kay chuckles and I say, "What a great job Gareth! I am so proud of you. I can't believe it! You are finished. Doesn't it feel good to have it over with?". He replies "yes" with a one of  a kind Gareth smirk.........oh, how I love these smirks. You can't help but laugh. Did I tell you this child of mine is our household comedian? LOL

Fastforward to bathtime. I know this is a long story....but I promise it is worth it! LOL Big brother starts noticing all the bandaids. He starts asking all about them. I have to explain all over again. He even sounds a little jealous....like "why didn't I get any". I even ask him "do you really want more shots, Phelan? I mean, if you do, I'd be more than happy to take you back to the doctor." Of course, NO, he didn't want any shots. "Why did Gareth get three and Maybelle only got 2?" So, I respond, "well, he needed to get a TB test." And, of course, by this time, Gareth is as proud as a Peacock! Afterall, he has more bandaids than his sister! LOL All of this is occurring during bathtime. It is actually a hightlight of my day at this point. It is nice to sit back with all three of my kids and talk about our day. We laugh and giggle and of course I had to make fun (just a little) of Gareth hiding under the examination table. Big brother Phelan is giggling about it and Gareth is still proud as a Peacock even so. Once out of the tub, kisses and hugs go round. I always tell them how proud I am of them and I love them. I tell Mabs that I am proud of her for being brave. It is Gareth's turn now. I kiss him on the forehead, tell him I love him. Next I say "I am proud of you for being brave too. You were kind of a cry-baby at first, but you really did great with your last shot." He says, "I know I was really brave. I didn't even cry." To which I respond, "I know. I was so proud. Why didn't you cry on the last one? To which he replies, as serious as can be........ And, I am not making this up!.....LOL

"Mommy, I like to watch TV!"

"You mean that, you thought, you had to get a TV shot! So you could watch TV?".......laughing, laughing, laughing!

Oh, what a moment in time. It was the feel good laughter that comes with having kids. It was a moment that I will cherish for the rest of my life and will never forget. The seriousness of his response, the look on his face! Priceless! These are the moments that as Moms make the rest of the "icky" stuff worth it. Of course, he wasn't at all happy that I was laughing. He gave me a playful smack on the arm and said, "Mommy, I really do not like you laughing at me!" Yep, I started laughing all over again. There he stands, naked as a jay bird with his arms crossed, scowling at me. I just had to laugh..... and laugh. Oh, and make a phone call to Mom-Mom. I had to share the event with someone. What a day! But what a fabulous end to an otherwise terrible Mommy day! One for the record books. Oh, how I love these kinds of days! Oh, how I love these shared moments with my kids. There is no one in this world that can warm my heart and make me laugh the heartfelt laughter that my kids can!