Shots, runny noses and no tomoatoes

The worst part about your child turning a year older means that they have to go in for their annual check-up at the pediatrician. I am a firm believer in telling your children what is going to happen before it does, such as going to get shots. So, I told Dallin the night before we went and he got a little nervous. We finally got to the doctors and he asked every person who came into our patient room if they were the one who was going to give him shots. Finally the moment came, and he did pretty good. Apparently they don't draw blood at the office so today, two weeks after his shots, we went to the lab for a urinalysis and to have some blood drawn. Well, if he thought shots were bad.... I was hoping they could just do a finger stick for the blood, but of course not. First we attempted and attempted and attempted to get the urinalysis, but how is a scared little boy going to make himself pee into a little cup. Then, onto the blood draw. It was not good. I held him on my lap while two ladies held his arm. The phlebotomist missed his vein and was digging around with the needle, which hurts like crap, and were still unable to find his vein. Dallin is screaming, "Take it out,take it out!" Ethan and Gavin are in the room with us in their stroller and start to cry because their brother is screaming so loud. Good times. So, onto the next arm....finally blood. Dallin tried to pee again, but couldn't, so we get to go back another time. Poor Dallin said, "That hurt a lot more than getting my shots!" He asked me when it was all over, "Do I have to do that again?" I said, "Not for a very long time." He said, "You mean I will have to?"

All of us now have runny noses, stuffy heads and sore throats. I thought it was bad having just one child sick. It is three times the fun with three kids sick. I think there should be a rule that if the kids are sick, then mom doesn't get sick. Wouldn't that be great? Gavin has waken up crying in the night a couple times this week, which he never does. I am wondering if he has an ear infection. The poor guy has already had three ear infections and two burst eardrums in less than three months. We are going to see an ENT doctor the first part of October because my pediatrician referred us. I am really hoping we don't have to do tubes.

This has nothing to do with colds or shots, but hey, while I'm telling of our woes, I might as well tell about my poor tomotoes. I planted three tomotoe plants and two pepper plants despite my better judgement. I knew there were all sorts of animals and creatures that live in our backyard and beyond, but I thought that if I planted them right next to our house, maybe, maybe they'd be safe. A couple weeks ago I went to check on my tomotoes, and they were big and green, just about to ripen. I have been craving a meaty, red tomoto with salt on it all summer. I went out to reap my harvest and there were no tomotoes and no traces of my tomotoes. They were completely gone. Some of the vines were missing also. I've talked to my native New Jersey friends and they said it sounds like hedgehogs. They don't just take a bite and leave it, they take the whole thing. I was so sad :( They must not have like bell peppers because they were still there, but not a single green (or red) tomato left. I don't think I'm mad enough to try to poison them, but we are no longer friends.