Boys will be boys..

Another interesting day, in the sense of the ancient Chinese curse.

Child #4 has been ill for two days with a high temperature. I knew it was viral and held off from the doctor but this afternoon decided I better get some one to look into his ears etc.

I made the appointment and they said that if I got there in the next half hour the doctor could see him straight away, or the next appointment would be tomorrow. Thinking of another sleepless night I said I could make it, mentally crossing my fingers that all the lights would be green and that no large slow moving vehicles would get in front of me. We officially live about thirty minutes from the doctor. It was doable I tell you.

I ran around the house collecting clean clothes for small children, that was when I found the cat. The cat was cowering under a bed. I wondered what was wrong and gathered her up, child #4 had apparently come around for long enough to padlock a six foot chain to her collar. So that was five minutes calming the cat, finding the key and unlocking the padlock and reprimanding #4 within an inch of his life.

Now for child #3 who had to come with us. He had disappeared. I found him waiting by the car and my eyes knew something was wrong, but not sure what. Oh well twenty minutes left to get to the doctor and we're off.

Through the door of the surgery and to the counter. I announced who I was, and who the child was, and wondered why the receptionist was staring past me. Oh well. I took a seat.

The doctor called us through and I carried child #4, who was now in full dying swan mode, in calling #3 to follow me.

The doctor started to speak and then looked past me to #3. Ah he said. The sound I made was a sort of UNh? I mean, I was carrying a sick weeping child in my arms, why was he looking at #3.

I whipped round and looked carefully at child #3. He smiled . OMG....OM double God, "What have you done!" I screamed. He has coloured his teeth in with a red marker pen. All of his teeth, bright red.

As the water in his mouth has got to it he has developed small blood like dribbles from his mouth. OMG..

Taking a deep breath I explained that the ill child was the one I was holding, the other one was just ....well, he's just, Shrug.

I am happy to report that a large dose of antibiotics seems to have perked #4 up so much that he is driving me demented with his energy, having slept for two days he has plenty in reserve. Number 3's teeth will take a while but scrubbing them every half hour or so seems to be reducing the worst of the staining.

Reminds me of a time when child #2 allowed the next-door-neighbour's daughter to colour her face in, all of it, with a green marker. Luckily that was totally washable or she'd look like a mini Shrek.