Over the past year I have related stories about the vet who let
Lil'Bug help with
the exam and even look at ear mites with the microscope. The dentist who lets her sit on my lap during MY exam. The Midwife who let
Lil'Bug help with the prenatal exams with her toy tools.
Last week
Lil'Bug had her first dentist visit and when they were cleaning her teeth she said the toothpaste burned she asked to stop. They stopped. They made no big deal about it.
Apparently, we've been blessed and lucky to encounter such child friendly professionals. Tuesday we went for my annual eye exam at the Des
Moines Eye Clinic.
Lil'Bug went with me last year, this year was no exception.
The exception was in how she/we were treated. It is not enough to say we will never go back there.
Lil'Bug was nervous and wanted to stay near me. So the assistant told her where she could play next to my chair. The OD came in and was really mad about where she was and picked up her toy and moved it.
Lil'Bug was mad, but gracious. Then he stepped away and she thought he was done so she moved back (after all it was where the assistant told her to be). The OD was really angry. He took her toy and moved it. She cried and hid behind my chair. The Doc and stormed out while telling me to get control of my kid and how he couldn't work under these conditions.
I got up and comforted my child, my frightened and upset three year old. I set her on a chair and gave her my phone to hold. She asked to call Daddy. I said yes.
Doc comes back in the room and declares that he cannot work in the presence of a child with no respect for adult authority.
??
My child? My
Lil'Bug who, to that point, had behaved
civilly and wonderfully?
She looked at him and asked him to please be quiet so she could talk to her Daddy. He stormed out again. I gathered her and Blueberry up and walked out. As I walked out he continued yelling at me that I cannot bring children to eye appointments. Something about
dilation and not being allowed to drive with children. Fine. I would have had Dearest come pick us up or taken the Metro Bus home. Whatever.
Lil'Bug turned to him and said, "You are a meanie."
Well, he was.
I said nothing. I did not stop to schedule another. I walked out. Calmly. Seething. With. Rage.
I mean, what just happened? Obviously he was having a bad day. Professionals don't usually act like divas about children, right? Doesn't matter. We are never going back. I was worried they would charge us and I wouldn't be able to go somewhere else, as my insurance covers only one annual exam per year. Dearest took care of that.
I wish I would have been about to say something to his face. I was at a loss for words. I was angry. I walked away.
Today
Lil'Bug has been feeling anxious and upset because the "doctor" said she was bad and naughty. She WAS NOT. But he's an adult and said it to her.
So, we shall work through this, but really, is this what is expected? Is this how most professionals feel about children? I think we have stumbled upon one of the major flaws in our culture. Children should not be hidden away and excluded, they should be welcomed and brought into the folds of our daily lives. They are not second class citizens.
I am also reflective of my own reaction. This is how I always deal with bullies. I walk away. Silence. I don't stand up for myself. I don't like this, but I know no other way.
Dearest got bored playing pirates go to Mars and together they built this, a faerie house. In something like 30 minutes. Perhaps I am not the only one here that can bend time?
Lil'Bug has been writing and leaving notes for the faeries. She checks and they have taken every message!
Beauty and music all in one little critter. :)
Mother, wife, sister, friend. This is our second year on the farm, a dream we've had since we were first married. We unschool, AP parent, and grow our own food (or try to).
Blueberry watching clouds while we picked MORE apples. Yes, more. :) Seriously, half my deep freeze is filled with sliced apples and I have another bushel to process. Applebutter on Tuesday. Yummers. The babe looks so serious with her cloud watching. She laughed and squeaked. Then she started singing. I've never heard or heard of a baby doing this, singing, but that's what it sounds like and she bursts into it when she's really happy. Very cool. Also, before I took the picture, Blueberry had stretched her little body and reached her tongue out to lick the half eaten apple left by Lil'Bug on the blanket. Her official first taste of food other than mama milk. The serious look may have actually been annoyance that I moved her away from the apple.
Lil'Bug got the hang of tree climbing this week. The child has no fear. None.
Lil'Bug and Dearest enjoy the view of a friend's farm. She was so gracious to let us come and raid her trees. The day spent there was glorious, indeed.
We brought home TWO more bins full.
This is what I have left to process.
My work station. I have seriously clean hands and lovely lemon juice bleached fingernails.
This pie is made with lard crust. I will never ever, ever, ever go back to the other ways of pie crusts. 1. It was simple divine and flaky and 2. It was simple. Um, I mean, really really hard back breaking labor. Hours and hours of work in the kitchen, did you hear that Dearest? I realize you think otherwise, given that I was in the kitchen at 10 AM and the pies were done and cooling by 11Am BUT here's the thing. I bent time. It's stretchy like that. I only use my super power in times of dire need like finals writing (or now, grading), cleaning house (the entire house) in the 25 minutes before Realtor shows up, or pie baking. Each task requires 10 hours of labor. Really. I stretched time.
We just signed the agent listing papers to sell our home of the last 10 years. This is just one of many steps we have taken to begin a new journey and buy our dream: an apple orchard and farm.
