Yesterday I took a new step towards my step-parent role with the girls. I don't know what my official title is. LOL blended families confuse me. (You'd think with my background I would totally have it down!) Mackenzie needed to go to the doctor for her 5 year physical and Josh had to work. I didn't even think twice about it, sure I can take her. So I left work around 10am to go pick her up from "Camp Tino" (Great Grandma Valentino watches the girls while we are at work, she is the coolest lady ever and makes a mean meatball.) It was in this moment that I started to get nervous! Mackenzie looked at me and said "I want my Dad to go with me." Yikes. I'm sorry kiddo, you are stuck with me this round. She began drilling me with questions about what was going to happen (mainly, would she be getting shots), tentatively sitting on the couch, fully ready to throw a tantrum. Bless her heart, Grandma Tino (with an extensive nursing background) walked her through it in the least scary way. Mackenzie reluctantly agreed to go. I threw her favorite song on my ipod, brought her favorite stuffed animal and away we went. By the time we got there she was her usual self cracking jokes swinging my arm as we walked.
My wishful thinking died here. As we walked in, the entire office was consumed by a child screaming and crying at the top of his lungs "I DON'T WANT TO GET A SHOT!!!!!" I closed my eyes praying for someone to close the freaking door somewhere!! I waited a second and looked at Kenzie, her big blue eyes staring up at me with a look I can only describe as a sad puppy rejected at the pound. Oh man. So I went into immediate damage control, plopped my big butt next to her tiny one playing with toys. The assistant behind the counter quickly blared "The Jungle Book" on the waiting room TV, trying desperately to drown out the poor child in the back's screams. Luckily, these things seemed to help.
Much to Kenzie's disappointment, we were called back. After the standard height and weight, we were placed in the "Space Ship" room with planets, astronauts and stars. Hey, they try. To my delight (I've trained her well) Mackenzie wanted to snoop through all the drawers and cabinets so we did so and I took the opportunity to try and explain to her what everything was to keep her comfortable. We heard the inevitable knock on the door and scurried back to our seats pretending like we were there all along. This was the point when I feel like the reality of I'm the "parent" responsibility really set in. I spent the next 10 minutes getting grilled with the standard questions. Eating habits, sleeping habits, previous illnesses, allergies, behavior problems? I've known Mackenzie since she was born, I know all of the answers to these questions, but it doesn't mean that the doubt isn't placed. Oh my God - what if she is allergic to something and I am just totally forgetting and then they give it to her? It honestly scared me! Don't worry, I double checked all my answers with Josh after we left, and I was right. (phew! lol)
Once the Q&A session was over, the doctor began Mackenzie's physical, and as she was checking her breathing and what not, began to tell Mackenzie things she should be doing. She talked to Kenz about what she eats, and told her "you should be eating 5-6 fruits or veggies every day." I just about died when Kenzie looked at me with this shocked expression and asked "You aren't going to tell Dad are you?". But my favorite Mackenzie response was when the doc told her she should only be watching TV/playing video games 1-2 hours a day. I asked her if she understood what that meant. She said no, so I explained "1 hour is like 2 spongebobs." Her jaw practically hit the floor. "I'm going to have to talk to Kali about this."
We finished up soon after. Her mom was for whatever reason unable to fax her shots record to the doctor's office, so Mackenzie will have to go back for shots, but I sure I am glad that I've gotten my first trip to the doctor out of the way!
Oh, one last final note. A male nursing assistant was brought in to give Mackenzie the hearing/vision test. He tried really hard to make friends with her, I'll give him credit. When they were done, he stuck up his hand for a high five, and Mackenzie actually put her hand up to hit his, and then stopped midway and changed her mind. What a snot!! He even laughed at her sass. That's Mackenzie for you.
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