Lots of Pokes

Those of you who have kids who have already turned 4 will know what I’m talking about – and for those of you who either don’t yet have kids, or do, but they’re not 4 yet, let me just warn you that the 4-year checkup is NOT fun. At all. Zachary went for his yesterday. He knew he was going to get “pokes” but I didn’t tell him how many. He claimed he was going to be brave, and he knew there were going to be treats afterwards. During the whole appointment he was happy (sometimes I think he actually likes going to the doctor – I think it may be her stickers…they have really good stickers there). He was going to be brave. Turns out, he was just all talk. As soon as the nurse walked in with the tray of needles – four of them, to be exact (not counting the finger prick he had already gotten) – he began tearing up and trying to scramble backwards on the table. We literally had to catch him, kicking & screaming, and then pull him back to the edge of the table in order to give him the pokes. She was fast, which I appreciated, and he got over it as soon as she brought in the Treasure Chest. They have a treasure chest there! I know, no big deal – lots of doctors offices have treasure chests. But we’ve been going here since Zachary was born, and I’d never heard of this treasure chest. Turns out, they save it for the 4-year-olds! So Zachary got to rummage through until he finally settled on a blow-up guitar. Then he limped out of the office, fussing at me for walking too fast.

We got home and I guess he forgot all about his legs hurting when he saw that the neighbors had their slip & slide out again. We put on his bathing suit & headed over. He LOVED it! And for a brief moment I considered that we might want to get one of our own. Until I started looking around their yard and realized what a big puddly mess it was from all the standing water that collects around it. Yeah, no thanks. We’ll stick with sprinklers or kiddie pools in our yard & just head to the neighbor’s house whenever he’s in the mood for slip & slide. After dinner we made snowcones as one additional treat for him. Can I just say that was the best $20 (give or take) I’ve spent in a while. I bought the thing last year for Zachary’s birthday party & have been surprised at how often we have used it. Not every day or anything (not even once a week), but enough that I have considered it worth the money. If you have kids (or if you just like snowcones), I’d recommend one.

My mom & I had lunch today at El Azteca on Roswell Road in Sandy Springs. After reading about 5 or 6 people on facebook last night going on & on about Chick-fil-A’s new peach milkshake, I decided I needed to try it for myself. And wouldn’t you know it – there just happens to be a Chick-fil-A right next door to El Azteca! How convenient! So after we finished, I went & got a small size (not sure what took them so long on that one, but I am glad they finally did it) peach milkshake & boy was it good. Definitely worth the fuss.