Weekend Stuff

Micah (and I) survived going to Quest Diagnostics in Somerset yesterday for his pre-op blood work.  The little waiting area was packed with every chair taken.  I signed him in (having made an on-line appointment I was hoping that there would be some preference given over the walk-ins.)  Micah started whining that he didn't want to have his blood drawn, but the nice woman who sat next to us started to talk with him and distracted him out of fretting mode.  She was especially kind because I left him sitting with her a few minutes after I had heard a staff person call out, "Mitch!" with no one answering.  The light bulb in my head was on a two-minute delay before the thought burbled to the surface, "Could somehow, in some universe of mispronunciation, this person have meant Micah?  And oh yes, she did.  So I had to sit at the desk doing paperwork, while this nice stranger quizzed Micah on his Thomas the Tank Engine trains and other hot topics for four-year olds.

The difference between pre-op blood work in August 2009 and now is that instead of just whining, he can now fully express his annoyance and fear.  Last time it was just me, Micah and Freddie the Fast Phlebotomist (his real name).  This time it was two Latina phlebotomists, who kept telling Micah, "It's ok, Papi" while he was saying, "I DON'T WANT you to take my blood.  Please, DON'T TAKE MY BLOOD."  Fortunately, whichever one actually did the sticking was successful on the first try.  Thirty seconds, one gauze bandage and a few stickers and we were out of there.

Naturally for pain and suffering endured an appropriate bribe had to be offered, so we went off to the Toys-R-Us in Somerville (much nicer than the Princeton/Lawrenceville store).  Micah had $8 worth of coupons from his birthday, and I had to get something to make up gift baskets for Micah's school's fundraiser.  I have two nap quilts, but I wanted to put stuffed animals and a few books or puzzles to fill it up a little more.  Lucky us, Animal Alley was having a buy one, get one free special that day: one giraffe, one kangaroo/joey combo in the cart.

Then Micah and I made a donut stop at the drive-thru Dunkin Donuts in Hillsborough and we headed home.

For the afternoon, Steve took the kids to see his mother, so I had time to go to the post office, grocery store and Michael's for more supplies to finish off and decorate the gift baskets.

I also drove past a house for sale in West Windsor that is in one of the school districts that Princeton International Academy Charter School will be drawing from. . . . .more on that later.

Thea has been asking, asking, asking for stuffed peppers, so for Saturday's dinner I made four stuffed peppers and extra stuffing (which is how Thea likes it: stuffed peppers without the pepper, which seems perfectly logical to her).

Today Thea needs a haircut and has homework to finish, the house needs vacuuming and organizing, most of which will probably not get done (the home stuff, the haircut and the homework are non-negotiable.)