"That was fun!"

This is Gabriel's newest phrase.  This week he has used it to describe going to the doctor as well as going to the park.

The doctor happened yesterday.  We were both at work, and the school called, trying to find a parent.  I was in with a patient, so the receptionist took a message that "he is OK, but..."  Meanwhile, they did reach Kit and he went over to school.  Seems that Gabriel fell while playing and was crying and holding his arm.  I have said more than once that I am just waiting for our first trip to the ER, because of all his acrobatic moves.  I told Kit I would call our family doctor's office because I didn't want either one of us to have to sit in the ER waiting room if it wasn't necessary.  They agreed to take a quick peek at him.  While I was working and waiting to hear the outcome, I had a whole mental plan going about how we were going to cope with a broken arm at home, etc.  But half an hour later, Kit said that the doctor was sure that it wasn't broken and Gabriel stopped crying and wanted to go home and play trains.  But he had to go to daycare for the afternoon anyway, and when I picked him up I asked him about going to the doctor with Daddy.  He said, "yes, that was fun!"  For him, maybe!

You may wonder why I didn't just have Kit bring him to my office.  The answer is that I don't feel it's a good idea to take care of my own family when it could involve prescription medications or other treatment.  You cannot maintain objectivity with your own family, and that means being less than a good doctor.  For example, yesterday I would have been tempted to assume that it wasn't broken just because I didn't want to leave work and go sit in the ER.  Luckily, I didn't have to anyway.

The park happened on Saturday, and it really was fun for all of us.  We were out doing errands and not really planning anything.  As we drove by a large and wonderful city park, we heard the train whistle blowing.  So of course Gabriel begged us for a ride.  We ended up spending two very delightful hours there, riding the train, having snow cones, and taking a paddle boat out on the lake for an hour.  The weather was perfect and it was very relaxing.  It was just a great spontaneous family outing.  As we left, Gabriel said, "Bye-bye choo choo, bye-bye boat.  That was fun!"

We decided to call it our Mother's Day celebration because on Sunday it poured down rain all day and I came down with a cold.  I did get to lie on the sofa and cuddle with Gabriel, so all in all it was a wonderful Mother's Day weekend for me.