Miss 4 has been complaining about an ear ache for a couple days. She has also been running a low fever off and on. Last night I decided that today I would take her to the doctor and get this figured out. I was hesitant to do this because Miss 4 is turning out to be a person who really likes to mention and emphasize her aches and pains, but when she started saying her ear was "bubbling," I figured that was my call to action.

Of course that means that this morning she woke up and said her ear was all better. And hopeful mom that I am, I believed her and put off calling the doctor. In another hour, she told me it was hurting again, and "bubbling."

Ok

I decide I will call the doctor. Our doctor is an old family friend and we have had nothing but good experiences at his office, until today. Today I called and they had no record of Miss 4 ever visiting their office. Her sisters, yes; her, no. Apparently the appointment-maker-lady I was talking to could not conceive how it could be possible that I would not realize that all of Miss 4's sisters have been to see this doctor and she hasn't. (Maybe appointment-maker-lady has no children and or only one child, so she never makes mistakes.) Whatever the reason, appointment-maker-lady let me know that I was a real pain by not realizing Miss 4 was not in the computer. Ahem. Needless to say she quickly became an unhelpful-appointment-maker-lady and would not fit me in until tomorrow.

I scheduled for tomorrow morning, but when Miss 4's ear started bubbling again I decided the better idea would be to take her to a quick clinic. I loaded up the van with all the girls (and I do mean all, Miss 7 is home from school sick today, too). The quick clinic was not a quick drive, especially when I discovered the road there was closed, but we made it. And they were so nice. And Miss 4's ear infection was diagnosed.

We grabbed our prescription and headed to the pharmacy. I have had very bad luck with this super-slow pharmacy in the past, but I believe I have outwitted them by dropping the prescription and not going back for hours and hours so there is no possibly way they won't be done with it. Cross fingers that this plan will work today.

The only thing left to do was cancel Miss 4's appointment for tomorrow with our regular doctor. As I was waiting on hold, I felt a little nervous about talking to appointment-maker-lady again, but that is silly, right? Wrong. When I cancelled the appointment, she was even grouchier, and reminded me again that when I called for Miss 4 in the future I needed to tell them right away that she was in the computer but had never been seen, so they wouldn't have to go searching for charts that didn't exist. Wow. I don't think she went on any big "search" in the two minutes I'd had her on the phone earlier. Geesh.

I will have my revenge. While I was on hold, they mentioned that I can fill out surveys on line about my experience with them. I am not usually the type to fill out surveys, but this one must be done. Unhelpful-appointment-maker-lady is going to have to learn to be more polite.