I am so winning "mom of the year"

Many years back, my mom started doling out "daughter of the year" awards. They come up in the context of "you know, you could be daughter of the year if you X" - and usually the request is something trivial, and doing it is well worth the glory of having a shot at being "daughter of the year". (For the record, several years ago I wrapped up "daughter of the year" for life by knitting my mom a sweater. She didn't even believe I knit it because I foolishly put fancy buttons on it. So there I was, watching her unwrap the gift and she's all "thanks" and I'm all "thanks?!?" I just spent a year of my life knitting that sweater and "thanks" is all I get? So I blurt out "I knit that thing" and my mom says "oh, you did not" and then my dad pipes up "yes she did. I saw her finishing it up yesterday" - because you see, when my mom and I give gifts we make, an essential ingredient is that pins or knitting needles still be in them when the gift is given because we couldn't possibly finish on time, and this one time, I had managed to finish it a few hours before my mom opened it. Anyway, after I showed her the flaw in the back, she believed me and then I pretty much had "daughter of the year" wrapped up for eternity.) (And, ahem, Helen or Connor, when you read this, feel free to start knitting because I will adore a sweater from my children, much like my mom loved hers.)

Anyway, since I have clinched daughter of the year, I have decided to go for mother of the year. So, a week ago last Monday, Connor is totally fine in the morning, and then when it's naptime, he has a cow and says his ear hurts. I'm thinking to myself that he is faking because he's seen Helen go to the audiologist and Connor would like to have broken ears too. Plus, he would have an addiction to children's Tylenol if he could get the top off the bottle. So, eventually I give in and give him half a dose of Tylenol, he naps, and is completely wound up and happy for the remainder of the day. On Tuesday, the same thing happens. Because he has swim lessons Tuesday evenings, and because he keeps identifying the same ear as hurting (which has not been true in the past when he's told me his ear hurts) I decide to take him to the pediatrician.


And, alas, Connor has a pretty bad infection in the right ear (the one he kept pointing to), and a minor infection in the left ear. Off to the pharmacy to get my mother of the year award kid's prescription.

Within a day, Connor reported that his ear was no longer hurting, but he was incredibly excited that he got to keep taking his medicine for 9 more days. If only Helen would take her reflux meds as easily as Connor takes antibiotics, and if only her ear problems would disappear so quickly.

I guess this is a lesson in believing Connor.

Elaine