After a fitful night’s sleep, the Bean woke up yesterday and immediately yelled out “My ear hurt.”  Poor pumpkin was a crying, clingy mess for about an hour after she woke up. She didn’t want to eat, she didn’t want to watch TV or read a book, she just wanted to cuddle.

I put in a call to her pediatrician at 8:31 am (I figured I’d give them that extra minute to turn their phones on) only to find out the office was closed due to bad weather.  Wonderful.  So I bundled the kids up and took them to the walk-in.  Thankfully we were there early enough to get right in and seen. The Bean was a champ with the nurse and the doctors- letting them look in her mouth, noses, eyes & ears.

The diagnosis?  Ear infection & pink eye.

When we got home from the pharmacy, I had to give Beaner her first dose of antibiotics.  I had gotten it grape flavored AND I bribed her with M&M’s so I figured it wouldn’t be that hard.  She said she was a big girl and wanted her meds in a little cup, so that is what I gave her.  She promptly took one sip and declared it too yucky.

Well, I knew she had to take it- rejecting her meds based on the taste just wasn’t an option.  So I loaded up the squirter and tried to corner her. She’s no dummy so she ran.  After a few mins, I had her caught and on my lap. I figured I’d squirt it in her mouth really fast and all would be well.

I figured wrong.  The child spit all her meds out so it was going down me, running down her face and into her hair.  Lovely.

I gave her a few minutes and counted out all the M&M’s she could have if she took her meds, trying really hard to entice her.  But she’s was on to me and wasn’t buying it.  She fought me with all her might but I finally got that one measly teaspoon worth of antibiotics down her through a combination of body pinning, cheers, bribery, threats & fancy maneuvering.  I’ve now given her 3 more doses since yesterday and each one is just as much fun as the first. At least I’m smart enough now to make sure we’re both in old clothes before I try!