I glanced at my calendar on Sunday and noticed that i had scheduled back to back dr. apts for the boys this week. I cursed myself for not scheduling Dylan's during the school year, possibly eliminating a child or 2. Oh well, the situation didn't quite seem babysitter worthy, so off to the dr. we trucked- 4 kids in tow.
As I'm pulling out of our driveway i turn around and ask the boys if they're wearing underwear. They do a quick check and Austin shrugs and says "I'm sorry, I forgot". So, back up the driveway we go ....as it was, they looked like scrubs from playing outside all morning, so the least i could do was make sure they were wearing underwear. As an afterthought, i remembered i was out of wipes, so i quick grabbed a pkg. just in case Stella decided to go.
We arrive. Dylan looks at me and batts his lashes and those puppy dog eyes and says "I'm sorry, I forgot, I'm not wearing underwear" ...sigh. While i'm taking care of updating our insurance information, the kids decide to line up the kiddy chairs and pretend they are on an airplane.....complete with realistic sound effects. After 15 minutes of polite smiles and nods from patients peacefully reading their magazines, we are called back to our 12 x 12 cell.
The kids are promptly weighed and measured. Next up...the eye exam. Austin flies through excitedly, because it feels like school -on a side note, he is one step away from getting glasses :(
Dylans next up. The nurse points to the first shape... a star. Dylan in all seriousness tells her it's a heart. She asks again, he says heart. I see her write something down...hmm. Next shape up is a moon. Dylan tells her its a banana. This goes on and on. We're all laughing at Dylan, because quite frankly, it's just normal Dylan. The nurse passes him, though she questions his shape skills.
We gather up Stella who is gleefully running up and down the hall, and we all settle back in the room. The nurse goes through the hearing test, and Austin accidently smacks her in the face as he raises his arm when he hears the noise. Next up, it took Dylan many tries, because he just kept waving his arms around in the air. I think this boy is going to have some trouble in school next year :)
Stella so nicely kept herself busy emptying out the garbage can.
The nurse asks me if I think we can get a urine sample from each of the boys. I laugh, and off to the bathroom we tromp. Mind you, all of the chairs just outside of the bathroom are filled up with patients waiting to be seen. That being said, all conversations about pinching it off, aiming, and ding dongs were heard by all.
First up was Austin, who has always had bad aim, and is the reason we are now a "sit down" family. Well he didn't get the timing right, so i got a nice spray from the knees down. Thank goodness it was a cool out and i was wearing jeans!
Next up Dylan- he may not know his shapes, but he would win hands down in a cup peeing contest. While we were having all of this fun, Stella politely kept herself busy wandering between playing in the garbage and emptying the drawer of urine sample cups. After all hands were washed, and one last showing of what was behind that amazing metal door was given, back to our cell we went. All smiles and nods from those waiting outside the door of course.
We wait....I promptly hand out snacks until all supplies are gone. We wait some more .... I notice that the air just rots. I glance over at Stella and notice a nice brown stain seeping through her pants as she is bending over to eat her fruit snacks that have fallen on the ground. I reach for my diaper bag to change her, and realize, oh yes- my wipes are on the passenger seat in the van where i tossed them. Not worth the trip, so she'll just have to sit in it for a bit and contribute to the air quality. We wait...the kids decide to have a long jump contest off the bed.
The dr. finally gives the highly anticipated knock on the door and comes in. All goes well and we have nice conversation. Poison ivy, vision and growth percentiles are discussed. During our conversation Stella once again politely occupies herself by spitting out the granola bar that she has saved up in her cheeks and grinds it into the carpet with her fingers...just showing off her fine motor skills I suppose. The dr. checks them over... Austin just about decks her when she checks his boyhood, but he made it :) She tells me, loud enough for the kids to hear, that Austin needs 2 shots and Dylan is a bit behind and needs 6.
(Some background... last summer Dylan saw the dr. for a gigantic sliver in his foot... he got so irrate when the dr. tried to give him a numbing shot that he kicked it out of her hand and on the floor it landed. He made be small, but he's a strong little bugger.)
Dylan starts crying, and wailing, and acting ridiculous when he hears he needs shots. I quickly give Austin the big brother pep talk, that he needs to go first and be really brave for Dylans sake. He was, and I was proud...all the while Dylan is standing by the door wailing, quite surely contemplating making a run for it.
Dylan's turn. They want me to lay him down on the table... however, he will have no part of this, and is beyond reasoning with. He jumps into my arms and clings for dear life. I start trying to peel him off of me and he clings harder. I finally get him on the table and i have to lay on him to make him stay down. Like a good girl, Stella has moved on to splaying the contents of the cupboards to occupy herself.
All is well, we are finished. Tears are dried and suckers given. We are on our way, just another hour in our blessed life!
I married well. Sure, he may have a tendency to work a bit too much, and he did throw my favorite little black sweater in the dryer...but all things aside, he is an amazing husband and father. He is the hardest working person I know...both at work and at home. He is a patient, loving, godly and selfless man. 
So, as i eagerly await the arrival of my package in the mail, my thoughts drift to paint colors and pillows. I could use some advice....any thoughts my blogger friends?
one of the joys of our new kitchen.....8 children fit around the counter!
.....15 tormented fish so far!