Why? Do We Get Flu Shots???

This week I had to take all three kids to get their second round of flu shots. Two days later Psalter is sick with a fever. I honestly don't remember the last time Psalter got sick, she never catches anything, so I'm convinced it's because of the shot. Getting them was an ordeal in itself...

I was telling the girls our agenda for the day. One of the errands involved the Dr.'s office. My too smart 4-year-old asked, "are we going to get shots?" How did she know? I couldn't lie, so I told her that we were. Well, bad mistake, I should have diverted her attention because then they both started wailing. We had about an hour before we could leave, so I endured my punishment for that next hour and the trip to the Dr.'s office. I almost decided not to go. I called the office to ask for the side affects of the shot. The lady that answered was grumpy with me and even said, "Well, they just got one, right, so they're the same." Arghh, I was glad she couldn't see me sticking out my tongue at the phone.

We got to the office and the usual friendly receptionists, who love it when we come in were busy and the only one open was the one I must have talked to on the phone earlier. No smile, no "may I help you?," just an expectant look. She asked for my birthday, I told her. tAP..TAP...TAP... She asked who I was here to see and I said I wasn't here to see anyone, my kids needed shots. She got grumpy with me because apparently I was supposed to give her my children's birthdays and not mine.
Arghh, again! Meanwhile my children were getting antsy because they realized that it was really happening. We finally got to the waiting room and waited...and waited...read some books...went to the bathroom...smiled at other patients...

We finally got taken back to a small room with just a shot chair in it. My girls started screaming, then they each got their shot, with me holding them-tight. And just like that it was over. Thank God!!! I had to get out of that room, it was closing in on me. Fortunately we had no more run-ins with "grumpy pants" and we actually saw some of the ladies that are always glad to see us. Some sweat nurses gave the girls a coupon for free ice cream. And what did I get out of it?? Besides the old gentlemen (God bless him) who told me in the waiting room that I was a remarkable woman (as I dragged my two screaming girls behind me to the shot room), I've got a sick child. Go figure...I THOUGHT we got them the shots to keep them from getting sick.