Seriously, it can't just be me. And if it is, parents are missing out on so much.
What brought this up? Glad you asked.
1) Jake (newly minted 19 years old) picked up a cough a couple of weeks ago. Usually they go away. This time it didn't. Admittedly I don't take my teens to the doctor over every ache, pain, and in this case, cough. But it persisted and Gregory kicked him out of their room because he couldn't get any sleep. On the couch in the living room, Jake was now keeping the rest of us up. Fun.
2) Gregory (17 soon to be 18) has had a winning soccer season but has taken a beating. At nearly 6'1", only 143 lbs and 4% body fat, he's not a big kid with a load of bulk for protection. When a 220 lb defender trucked him from behind last week (because Gregory beat the jerk - do I sound bitter?), Gregory flew a good 15 feet. The knee to his back, and the flying bit - or rather the landing - was a bit painful.
So with both their persistent coughs and pains, I took them to the doctor yesterday. As I signed the boys in they filled out the form the receptionist gave them and the conversation went like this:
Jake: It's asking why I'm here? What should I say?
Me: Why are you here?
Jake: The cough?
Me: No hon. We're here because you broke your nose 5 years ago and I'm still so mad that you put a bump on a perfectly straight piece of perfection that I busted my butt to create, suffering incredible discomfort for 9 months culminating in the worst pain known to man - sorry, woman because man will never know the reality of the excruciating pain that comes from the equivalent of pushing a watermelon out of their hoo-haa. And we're here to have the doctor break it and re-set it back to it's original state because how dare you mess the faultless achievement that God and I worked so hard to put together.
Jake: *giving me "the look"* So...cough?
Me: How about mental defect?
Gregory: I'll back you up on that one.
Jake: Funny. Cough it is. Hmmm. Now let's see. *reads the next question on form* Allergies? *After a pause and sideways glance at me, he starts writing and says loudly* Myyyy mother.
At which point I crack up. The receptionist gives up trying to stifle her laughter and asks, "Do you guys always have this much fun? My teenager will hardly even talk to me."
I know I'm not the only one. Who else is having fun with their kids?
And by the way, Gregory wants the world to know that his resting heart rate is 44. I thought he was going to kiss the nurse. She did get a hug. At his peak Lance Armstrong's resting heart rate was 34 so now that's Gregory's new goal. Yeah, he's so fit, he's almost dead.
