Fish bone

My super awesome baby Echo,


Saturdays are a constant rush, with gymnastics and Italian lessons, groceries, errands that did not get done during the week, laundry piles, birthday parties... We look forward to Sundays to wind down a little, and spend quality family time. Like we did a few Sundays a go... We went to the movie theater to see the new Trolls in 3D, chomping on popcorn, marveling at the colors, and the creatures pooping cupcakes. We strolled over to the nearby sushi place for lunch. Bites of sushi, sashimi and rolls, travelling on little plates, on the conveyor belt. We picked the dishes we liked, as they passed by our table.

"My mouth hurts" you said, at some point during the meal. I looked for mouth sores, but didn't see any. I tried to feed you some rice, you tried to eat... "My mouth hurts" you said again. I looked carefully to see if I missed something, or if your throat was red, but I saw nothing. "Go away pain" you said. We talked about it, and kept exploring. Then I saw the fish bone! It was at the very back of your throat, stuck to one side. I put my fingers in your mouth, but couldn't reach. We tried again and again going deeper. If we only had clean long tweezers...

Since it was Sunday, we had to take you to Urgent Care at Seattle Children's Hospital. And absurdity ensued. The Urgent Care doctors said that given the risk (what risk?!", we needed to be transferred to the emergency department, where we waited close to 2 hours, being visited by a nurse, a student doctor, another nurse, no one daring do a thing, and us sitting in a room, waiting. The solution would have been so simple for any person with or without medical degree: Take tweezers, ask child to open mouth, pull the bone out. But in America, whether in a hospital or the corporate world, noone dares take action. I shuffled through the supply closet in the room, hoping to find an appropriate tool I could use to pull out the bone, but there was nothing for the purpose. Finally the big master doctor came in with 2 assistants. they lay you down. Under the doctor's supervision the nurse took a pair of long tweezers, and pulled the bone from inside your mouth. A couple of weeks later, we received a bill of $1200 in the mail, to be paid out of pocket, not covered by insurance. Anywhere in the world, whether advanced or underdeveloped, this would have been either free or just a few bucks. People envy that Americans earn big numbers. What's the point, if it's all for a farce? Next time, we'll go to the pharmacy and buy long tweezers, and solve the issue for under $10 and under 10 minutes.

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Ponies!
Dinner at a local pub, waiting for our meals to arrive. We were all hungry and tired from the long day behind us, and you girls were getting impatient. I reached in my pocket, and quietly pulled out a tiny little plastic pony and placed it on the table. You girls marveled. A few seconds, I pulled out another one, same size, different color, and quietly placed it on the table. You girls became more and more intrigued. Then I reached for the third time and pulled out yet a third pony and placed it on the table. In your eyes, this was magical, exciting, and fun. 3 little plastic ponies that I picked up from the office that day, made your evening...

And more...

On the way home from daycare one evening, your sweet voice pretending to be mommy, a gentle smile on your lips you said: "I have something for youuu. It's in my pocket." "What is it?" I asked. "It's ponies!" you said, and passed me the imaginary pony. And another one... It's so fulfilling to see that my action made an impression on you - a positive one. And such a simple action. Papa and I are blown away sometimes to see how easy it actually is to make kids happy. Months later, you still reward from time to time on our ride back home from daycare with this same enactment.

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Dancing girl

You love dancing, and you love your weekly dance classes at daycare. You talk about them sometimes on the way home. Once I asked you to show me the moves. And you did. We stood side by side, and you taught me the dance moves you do in class, pretending you are bears, frogs, leafs blowing in the wind... Since then, you occasionally take my by the hand, and guide me to a spacious area saying "I'm going to teach you the dance moves."

I love you so much my little energy bird.

Mommy