If you can help it, avoid going to the doctor's office on a Monday. If you can avoid it, don't go to the doctor's office on a holiday. If you can't avoid it, take some reading material, extra snacks for the children and mentally prepare yourself for the wait.

Our pediatrician's office is wonderful. I love and trust our doctor and her two partners are equally good. The nurses are kind and not the know-it-alls who try to prevent you from ever seeing the doctor by making you think everything is all in your head. Whenever I call, the doctors are always able to squeeze in a sick visit for the kids. They work hard and do a good job.

The Toddler Girl had no sooner gotten over her ear infection and ensuing spots, then her nose started running and she caught another cold. We've been watching her and running the humidifier, but yesterday she woke up with a crusty nose and two matching streams of thick green mucus. (All together now, "Eeeeew!") Since she had just been sick and had just had an ear infection, I decided I shouldn't wait a couple more days.

We got a 10 a.m. appointment and since The Boy was out of school, I bundled all the kids off to the pediatrician. Our pediatrician has both a sick and well waiting room and although it probably wasn't quite up to snuff, I let the two healthy kids go into the well room, because there aren't any toys or books in the sick waiting room. I kept the baby in the sling and stood in the hallway between the two.

When we got to the doctor, the parking garage had been a nightmare and I'd been forced to use valet parking to get parked at all. The doctor's office didn't seem too bad, but something was putting them way behind. We wound up waiting about 75 minutes before going back to a room, and then waiting another 15 or more to be seen by a doctor. Then, as it turned out, it was one of our pediatrician's partners because our pediatrician was dealing with too many other patients and a cold of her own.

Diagnosis -- another double ear infection, of course. Once my no ear infection luck failed, it's headed out the window, big time. We're using stronger and much, MUCH more expensive (Ouch!) medicine. Apparently ten percent of people who are sensitive to 'cillin drugs are bothered by these too, but we're trying it anyway. Let's hope she's not allergic, ok?