Kids and appointments

Can I share something with you? As I sit here, waiting for my father-in-law to come pick us up, I have to confess – I hate my kids’ appointments.

I’m sure no one really flat out LOVES going to the doctor and dentist and whatnot, but I really seriously hate going. I always find myself wishing for a good reason to cancel, something like, “oh the car isn’t working, can’t get there! Time to reschedule!”

Today we have dentist appointments, just a regular check-up. I’d rather stay home, thanks. On top of my dislike of these necessary appointments, today’s appointment in particular sucks because of the time. I generally try to book them for the morning, preferably first thing. I’m not much of a morning person, but my kids are and that’s the best time for everyone.

Unfortunately, the only time slot available was 1 pm. Do you know how ridiculous that is? I live far enough away from the dentist office that I have to leave an hour early. On top of that, Montreal is under massive last-minute “quick let’s do some construction before Winter hits!” so we need to leave 15 minutes earlier than THAT because heaven forbid you’re late or you might end up bumped to the very end of the day, at which point I might get homicidal.

That means we have to leave at the time that my little one is usually going down for a nap. She hates dentists and doctors as it is, so I have to hope that she’ll fall asleep in the car so that she isn’t exhausted on top of scared and annoyed. We’re also leaving at the time that I generally prepare lunch for the older one, and we’ll still be at the dentist when the little one would normally be waking up for her lunch too. Since it’s the dentist, they can’t really eat while they sit in the waiting room.

And speaking of waiting rooms, don’t even get me started on the fact that the big girl starts school next Tuesday and waiting rooms are a cesspool of random illnesses so I’ll have to spend the next week crossing fingers, praying, and sacrificing goats in the hopes that she doesn’t come down with something the day before grade one starts.

Please tell me I’m not the only one who not only doesn’t enjoy these appointments but stresses about them to this extreme! And wish me luck!

(photo: sxc.hu)