Who Wants a Shot?

No, I am not talking about a shot of tequila.  Of course, that would probably make taking three kids 5 and under to the doctors or dentist's office much easier.

Luckily, both our doctor and dentist's office have less than 5 minute wait times to see the doctor which in my view helps endlessly.

Since Ry and Maddie's birthdays are only one day apart, they both got to visit the doctor for their well visits at the same time.  

Maddie, now 4 is more fretful about new situations and has never been a fan of the doctor's office.  She usually would thrash and cry when she got shots.  Who could blame her?  I used to get light-headed up until I was in my twenties anytime anyone even came near me with a needle. 

Yesterday, in the waiting room, she announced "I hope I get a shot."

I just looked at her.  I wasn't quite sure how to respond.

Possible responses running through my head ranged from "Wow, you're so brave" to "Why in God's name would you want a SHOT?!?!"

I never even thought to ask in a calm voice "Why, sweetie?"

At that point we were called back, thank heavens, and I was saved from responding. 

I decided to avoid that minefield and pray that we made it through without any major meltdowns.  

Maddie got her height and weight checked in this little room where they also did her vision exam and her hearing exam.  Then, off to the exam room we went.  As soon as we stepped inside, Ry started to pucker his lips and fret.  My normally easy going little 2 year-old knew darn well what was going to happen in that room.  Just a few months ago he got several shots in a room just like it.  Someone was going to get a shot and he hoped to hell it wasn't him.

Maddie patted his hand and offered to hold his hand during his exam. He settled down after seeing how calm the girls were.

By the end of their exams, the doctor said she had to leave the room for a minute and that she would be right back to finish discussing what we needed to discuss.  Madison started pouting and asked in a whiny voice, "But, Moommmmmy, what about my shhooot?" 

I patted her on the back and said that the doctor would be right back with her shot and that was what the doctor was going to get when she left the room.  The doctor looked at me like I had lost my mind.  I seem to get that look a lot.

I explained to the doctor that they have doctor scrubs and a patient gown (from when Maddie got rushed to the hospital with a febrile seizure) so they love to play doctor.  They also have a little doctor kit with band-aids, a blood pressure cuff, a pretend needle to give shots, and the other doctor related accoutrements that came with it.

She nodded but she still had a look of disbelief on her face.  Apparently, when Emmy was younger, we saw this particular doctor's partner more often in the practice.  Em rarely if ever cried when she got shots.  It was the weirdest thing.  I would almost be in tears and she would just flinch.  She loved, loved, loved the band-aids.  Who wouldn't?  A Snoopy band-aid cures everything.

Maddie sat on my lap and got four shots.  Not a peep out of her for any of them.  She looked at me and said, "Mommy, wasn't I brave?"

Weird, just plain weird. Apparently, my children do not only NOT look like me, they also don't act like me either, the coward that I am, when it comes to needles.

Things to Do in the Lehigh Valley: 2013 Lehigh Valley Summer Bucket List

I couldn’t wait until my two oldest were out of pre-k and there were no more dance classes, karate classes, or swim classes. It felt like we were constantly rushing somewhere.  This summer I decided to have a quiet summer at home with the three kids.   

Yes, you heard right.  An entire summer with my kids! So what is there to do?  It turns out that there is lots!  There is so much to do in the Lehigh Valley this summer and some of it is even free!

LEHIGH VALLEY 2013 SUMMER BUCKET LIST

	grow a garden or herbs in containers on the porch
	pick fruit at a local farm (our favorite spots are Seiples and Schmidt Berry Farm)
	visit the farmer’s markets (Steelstacks, Allentown, Easton, Nazareth, Emmaus, Saucon Valley, and Quakertown all have free markets on different days)
	reading adventures (storytimes @ the local Barnes & Noble and storytimes & crafts through local libraries)
	summer reading program at the local library (earn prizes for books read)
	movies outside (local drive-ins such as Shankweilers and Becky’s), some towns have free movie nights at the park, and ArtsQuest is showing free kids movies select evenings this summer)
	attend an Iron Pigs Baseball game (on Sundays kids can run the bases after the game)
	backyard water fun (run through the sprinklers, throw water balloons and sponge bombs, and make a river out of aluminum foil and a hose to float small toys or bottle caps)
	hiking (Hawk Mountain, Bushkill Falls, Jacobsburg Park, and other spots in our area)  I recently stumbled upon this post about 5 popular places to hike in the LV that may make a nice mom and dad date outing!
	Dutch Springs, local pools, or the pop jets at the promenade shops (free)
	visit a local farm like Quiet Valley or Klein Farms
	visit the Lehigh Valley Zoo or the Philly Zoo
	Make tie-dye t-shirts (preferably w/ friends to give a stained t-shirt a new life)
	Visit a museum such as the Allentown Art Museum, Museum of Indian Culture, DaVinci Science Center, Crayola Factory, or the Please Touch Museum in Philly (on the first Wednesday of the month from 4-7pm it is only $2 a person which is a steal)
	Do a playground tour and make a passport of the playgrounds you want to visit  A year or two ago there was a list of playgrounds in the newspaper and here are some that my kids want to check out: Cedar Beach Park at Hamilton & Ott Streets in Allentown (a destination playground), Buck Boyle Spray Park at 10 Pump Place in Allentown (mini water playground open from noon-7pm in the summer), and Panther Playground at 600 W. Mill St in Quakertown (wooden playground resembling castle).  We also have a listing of local parks and pools provided by our local moms club.
	local fairs (click here for a list of local fairs in the Lehigh Valley this summer)
	miniature golfing (Two T's Miniature golf in Easton and Putt U in Center Valley are just 2)
	bowling (kids can play 2 games free daily at participating centers through kidsbowlfree.com and this includes Town 'n Country Lanes in Bethlehem and Playdrome Rose Bowl in Allentown)
	Peas & Q's kids concerts on Saturday mornings at 11:30 at Steelstacks-TD Community Stage starting June 22nd
	decorate sidewalks with chalk
	host a family and friends barbeque
	fly kites
	bubbles (need I say more?)
	grab the umbrellas and put on your rainboots and go dance in the rain and go puddle-jumping
	flashlight tag and stargaze
	put up a tent in the yard and have a camp-out
	make s'mores (you can't camp without s'mores)
	bike ride
	go fishing
	make and eat homemade popsicles
	backyard theatre (act out your favorite story complete with costumes)
	walk in the Nazareth Kazoo Parade
	go swimming
	have a picnic
	go to the beach
	Daddy and child date one Saturday morning for either a Lowe's Build & Grow clinic  or a Home Depot Kids Workshop
	geocaching
	go to the theatre to see a movie (Regal has $1 kids movies on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 10 am and the Carmike at the Promenade Shoppes  every Thursday at 10am has a kids movie, popcorn, drink, and candy for $4)
	do a service project (make cards for servicemen or the elderly, donate food to a local animal shelter, donate food to a local food bank, drop off cookies at the library or the local police station for the workers)
	visit the Allentown or Bethlehem Rose Gardens

	let the kids stay up and watch the sunset
	road trip
	lay on our backs in the yard and watch the clouds and guess what shapes they are
	make ice cream
	make mud pies
	have a pen pal

	make a summer fun book (have kids take pics and then mom and dad can write descriptions as told by each child)
	visit Bear Mountain Butterfly Sanctuary
	catch fireflies
	get ice cream at The Inside Scoop, the Ice Cream Lab, or Emily’s
	yoga outside with the kids one morning

visit an amusement park (Dorney, Hershey, Land of Make Believe, Knoebels, Sesame Place, or Dutch Wonderland)