say ahhhhh

and hold very, very still while the nice lady with the long stick with the cotton bitty thing on it kickstarts your gag reflex. Nice try! Okay, so from the top: aaaaaahhhhhhh?

Um, said the Eldest, that's enough for now. But thanks.


The Toddles, by contrast, beamed. You want the cells in my neck that the virus got into, so that you can figure out exactly what virus it is! I know! (Note: the kid's favorite book is Cell Wars, because knowledge is power in my house, people. He's been carrying it in his backpack for months now, though, which I personally think is taking the matter a bit too far. But clearly, the kid's been waiting for his cue.)

The Eldest looked over. Your body already knows what type of virus it is. She doesn't, is all.


The Toddles refused to be unimpressed. AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHcough

strep A, people. Time to play our pediatrician's favorite game: Which Antibiotic? Because the Eldest has met them all, and oh, his immune system knows what type they are, too. Sigh.
***************************

The game winner was, btw, a drug that required the Eldest to take six times as many doses of medicine as his brother. And each dose was three times the size of his brother's, to add insult to injury. None of you understand what it's like, he wailed - right up until I ended up on the same antibiotic, same regimen.

Good work, Mum! he applauded tonight. Good job killing off those bacteria.
I bowed, extravagantly. I do, after all, take my laurels where I can find them...