Thursday we spent a healthy chunk of time at our doctor's office. Each of us needed one or two immunizations to get up to date--all except Henry, that is. Somehow, he managed to just perfectly be in that window between having had all his early childhood shots but not yet needing any boosters. He was crushed. All morning he had been planning on going first, determined to bravely be an example to Eva and Jude. I guess he also had something to prove to himself, since we have some colorful memories of multiple nurses, complicated wrestling holds, and blood-curdling screams. Here is a photo of one of our previous trips for vaccinations:
Anyhow, this time Henry was resolute: this trivial prick of a needle was no match for his fortitude now!
So when the disappointing news came (that he was current on all vaccinations), Henry's face fell. What could I do? Here I had a whimpering, worrying ten-year-old beside herself with dread over the looming punctures, a four-year-old who was suspicious and apprehensive but easily distracted, a three-year-old who had no idea what was coming and was busy opening every drawer and touching every surface in the room, and now on top of it all an eight-year-old stripped of his opportunity to prove his heroism.
Since the doctor's office was fresh out of a supply of placebo injections, I knew I only had seconds to come up with a solution before the entire assemblage of Willises was reduced to tears! Ah, yes! The flu shot! We hadn't gotten those yet!
Phew! Disaster was narrowly averted. Henry got his shot, proved his stoicism (he barely winced!), and gallantly paved the way for his younger siblings to receive their injections in stride.
Stay tuned for next week's installment: "The effects of a two and-a-half hour anticipatory drive preceding THE YELLOW FEVER VACCINE."
*Bonus points for anyone who can name that alternative country/indie rock reference.
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