Charm

You know you live with someone day in and day out and you begin to forget their magic powers.  For instance, it was only until I forced Elijah and Luca to accompany me downtown did I remember what charming little buggers they are.  And it took a vaccination to do it.

On the day before I flew to South Africa, I had to go get a few shots to prevent me from whatever diseases they have down here.  Hep A?  B?  Zebra fever?  Unfortunately for the boys, it involved driving into Chicago during the start of the weekend rush hour. 

Elijah took more offense when I called a fellow driver “dummy” than when I called a cabbie the A Word.  He made me promise never to call someone “dummy” every again.

Fine, as long as the A word is still on the table.

We sat in the waiting room and the staff hung over the desk, enchanted by Eli and Luca’s every utterance.  The boys borrowed my sunglasses to do some rock and roll role playing and I thought the receptionist was going to have a conniption.  Which I’m sure they treat at Northwestern Medical Center.

We had to go into a consulting room to speak with a travel doctor about what kind of water I should drink (bottled) and what kind of vegetables to avoid (every).  Within two minutes the doctor was putty in their hands.  Suddenly, a clandestine candy drawer was opened and the doctor begged them to treat themselves to as much sugar as they could eat.  I guess she was more concerned about Malaria than Diabetes.

Elijah and Luca asked and were permitted the opportunity to give me my injection.  I wondered aloud if a 6 year old and 3 year old were the best candidates to stick a needle in my arm and the doctor said, sure, it would be part of a junior doctor’s program.

Thankfully, their roles were that of hand holder and band aid applier.  But I still asked if all this was sanitary.  The doctor said yes, especially compared to what I would be exposed to in South Africa.

I miss those guys.