Center Stage

The city of Carlsbad has approximately 3 pediatricians. You can't get in as a new patient unless you have a brand-new baby. (Which I, lucky me, happen to have.) With only three doctors and 30,000 people in town, the waiting room is always full. It also means that there are no buffer seats. Which happens to make me a little uncomfortable.

Anyway, like usual, before Claire's appointment today, the room was full. While we waited, Grace and another little girl played with a kitchen set. The other girl may have been bilingual because she kept saying words that Grace didn't understand. To which Grace would respond, "We don't say that word!"

And when the little girl wasn't listening, Grace scolded, "I'm talking to you!"

She taught the girl hand washing (warning her that the imaginary water was very hot), choreographed a dance, pointed out the Disney characters hanging on the wall, and ordered the little girl to get a tissue when she sneezed (I'm not raising a germ freak or anything).

I was afraid the room full of strangers would be annoyed with my wild offspring. But they seemed entertained. Many of them looked at me with a grin or a chuckle after a funny statement from Grace, as if we were sharing a private secret (as opposed to witnessing a very loud public spectacle).

Eventually the little girl's name was called and when the door closed, Grace put her hands on her hips and surveyed the crowd as if to ask "Well what am I going to do now?" And the mob of wait-ers chuckled.

She loved it.