(More than) Fourinarow.net

As we were driving past the pediatrician’s office after collecting Jack from school the other day, it occurred to me that Jack, Maria and Luke still hadn’t gotten their flu shots. And, well, I had just read something that said you should get them by the end of November.

Crazy me, I whipped the van around and announced to the kids that we were going to get flu shots. Yipeeeee! Nothing like taking all four to the pediatrician’s office. At the same time. And, the parking lot was FULL. Gotta love the prospect of a packed waiting room. Committed now, I didn’t even let the lack of shoes on two of my children keep me from going.

Thankfully the kids are really too young to remember getting their flu shots last year, so they were actually pretty excited. After everyone took a turn in the bathroom, we settled in to wait. A cute little girl sitting next to us very generously gave Luke one of her stickers. When Maria discovered this, she wandered over and was also generously given a sticker. Then Jack. Oh, and Jack had to have one for his baby brother, too.

After wiping out the sticker girl, Jack and Maria walked across the room to verbally accost a woman with a baby sitting on the other side of the room. That woman now knows the complete histories of my two oldest children, all of their friends’ names and ages and what everyone is learning at school.

Two minutes before we were called, Dan showed up to lend a hand. (How many Hemmersmeiers can you pack into an exam room?)

The nurse asked about names and ages and I inquired about the availability of the mist for Jack and possibly Maria, instead of having to do shots. She responded in the affirmative and told us that the mist, in fact, was now approved for children ages 2-and-up, so Luke could get it, too.

Yipee! NO SHOTS! NO PAIN! NO SCREAMING!

The nurse left to get the stuff and I explained to the kids that they didn’t have to get shots after all. That they were getting something else and it wouldn’t hurt at all!

The nurse returned. Without the mist. “I’m sorry, we’re out of the mist,” she said. “It was scheduled to be delivered already, so we should have it any day now…”

“Well we’re here, so we’ll just do shots,” Dan announced faster than I could say the same thing. “Are you sure,” the nurse asked. (Personally, I think she was hoping we’d come back for the mist. I mean, what are the chances the same nurse would be stuck with us again?)

“Yes,” we said in unison. Was she kidding? Of course we were sure about the shots. I mean, surely three little sticks in the legs of our kids is a lot less painful than bringing them all back another time.

I explained to the kids that they were getting shots after all and Dan played “Simon Says” with everyone while the nurse left to get the shots. When she returned, we lined them up. Oldest to youngest. I figured Jack would anticipate the most, so we should get him over with first. He did try to talk his way out of it, briefly, but we got him taken care of quick enough. “Ouch” was all he said, with a slightly distressed look on his face.

Next up was Maria. Another “ouch.” She, of course, had to brag about it a little. “All I said was ‘ouch,’ Mom!” (As if I wasn’t standing right there the whole time.)

And then Luke. Another “ouch.” And a frown.

That was it! No tears! No screaming! No howling!

Stickers all around and we were out of there.

I guess the stars were aligned.