Well-check from ... rhymes with WELL

I don't know what exactly made this well-check such a big horrible deal, but every little thing that could get Big Girl's anxiety flaring was setting her off. First of all, her teacher wanted to try and see how she'd do with a surprise pick-up. The other times she has had appointments, she's not been able to work, for watching the clock and waiting for me to pick her up. She did fine leaving the school with me. But that was where it ended. And I'm not so sure that the surprise pick-up wasn't a factor.

In the car on the way, Big Girl talked about the different rooms they have at the doctor's office. There's a jungle room, and a fire truck room, and many others. She wondered which room she'd get.

As soon as we got to the doctor's office waiting room, Big Girl had her eye on a book she wanted to look at, and another little boy got to it before she did. She was immediately in tears, and we're talking a loud "WAAAAHH!" kind of crying. When we were called back, she hadn't really calmed down any, despite my efforts to soothe her. The nurse asked her which room she wanted, the jungle room or the fire truck room, and she wanted the jungle room. When we got closer, the nurse realized there was already someone in the jungle room. More wailing.

I couldn't even hear the nurse asking me questions. We had to step out into the hall just to finish that part of the exam.

Little Girl and another 3-year-old were with us. I don't think the extra 3-year-old was really much of a factor, but Little Girl was definitely a problem. Everything she did set Big Girl off anew. It was a nightmare. It's easy to read that and think that I'm exaggerrating, but let me tell you, whatever you're imagining, it was every bit that bad, maybe even worse. At one point both Big Girl and Little Girl were both screaming. Little Girl got her little shoulder pinched more than once.

When the doctor came in to examine Big Girl, I took the little girls down the hall to the bathroom so the doctor could settle Big Girl, and so one of the little ones could use the facilities (unfortunately, not Little Girl). I actually carried Little Girl under my arm, kicking and screaming out of the room. When we came back, Big Girl was doing better, but not great. She was still very particular about everything the other girls did, which is her way, but it was amplified.

The doctor suggested I put Little Girl in some kind of daycare (mother's day out or preschool). She was concerned for me, seeing me obviously stressed. Let me tell you, that's pretty high on my priority list for next year. What's held us back so far is her lack of potty-trained-ness (which has not been going well at all lately, by the way).

After all that was over, I took the girls to grab some lunch (fast food lunch twice in one week, bad, I know) before taking Big Girl back to school. The girls did OK at lunch. Not great, but at least there wasn't crying. Why is it hard to get kids to eat? That baffles me sometimes. The little girls had to pack their fries up and finish them later because we had to get Big Girl back to school.

As we pulled into the parking lot at the school, Big Girl started crying because she thought she had missed out on working on some illustrating something or other, and her world was ending again. Trying to console her, I got down on my knees to look her in the face to tell her "there will be plenty of time to get your work done" and at that moment, the little girls were taking off across the crosswalk without me. I screamed "STOP!!" and they both came running back to me, across the crosswalk again. Stop does not mean come back!!! AAAGGGHHHH!!!! I didn't say that, I just thought it. I said something along those lines in a stern voice, but I didn't scream at them like my insides were screaming.

As we walked in the front doors of the school, Big Girl's class was lined up in the hall, just coming out of the cafeteria. Our timing was perfect. As far as her teacher is concerned, it was a beautiful and seamless transition. Never mind that most of the time I had her was so bad. It wasn't all the fault of the little ones either, though they didn't help. The thing with the book could have happened even if they hadn't been there.

It's been over an hour and a half since delivering Big Girl back to her class, and my stress level is still rather elevated from the sheer terror of our time at the doctor's office. I'm looking forward to putting the 3-year-olds down for a nap, and maybe getting one myself before time to pick up Big Girl and deliver the extra little girl to her mother.

Something's got to give. Right now it seems that my sanity is waning.

The good news (BEST NEWS EVER!!!) is that all the appointments are OVER! This week has just been INSANE with an apointment (or two) every day but yesterday. There is nothing on the calendar for next week involving doctors, dentists, or anything where they give you a confirmation call the day before. Ahhhhh...

I'm so frazzled right now I can't even think of the song in my head. Barney is on, and they just did the dumb "I love you" song to the tune of "This Old Man," so that's what's in my head at this very second. That's what I hate about Barney. They take perfectly good folk songs, or kid songs, and change the words. Bugs me to no end. But I digress... enough of that rant.