Wednesday, July 15, 2009

No Pinches, Mommy!

Harrison had his five year visit with his pediatrician today. Overall, no problems—he’s had a fever for the past day, and she said that he had a virus that seems to go around our community in late June/early July every year, but it’s short lived and he should be able to go back to school tomorrow. What relieved his mind the most was that he didn’t have to have any ‘pinches’ (what he calls shots).

Last year, when the nurse was gearing up to give him his four year vaccinations, she said that they had kind of a slogan around there—“Four years, four shots.” I said that she needed a better slogan, perhaps one that wouldn’t incite fear in preschoolers.

This year, though, he didn’t have to have any and that garnered a big sigh of relief from him. It was short lived, though, when he heard the doctor mention that when I bring Laura in for her four month well baby visit, she’d have to have a shot or two.

He didn’t say anything immediately, but by the time we were in line to pay and set our appointment for next year, he was very concerned for his sister. By the time we were to the van, he was almost in tears and insisted that Laura couldn’t get any pinches on Friday. I compromised with him and said that she’d only get small pinches. This calmed him for a little while, but before he went to bed tonight he declared that Laura was to get NO PINCHES.

It’s endearing to see him so concerned for his sister and her happiness. He doesn’t want her to feel the pain and, more importantly, he doesn’t want her to cry. I hope this empathy between them survives their childhood and that he always considers her his friend.

On a totally different note, we were driving out to my parents house yesterday and a car pulled up next to us on the Loop. Harrison looked over at him, glared and said, “Tear him up, Mom!”

I think the boy’s been watching a little too much Speed Racer.

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