Playing Doctor

Since the entire Rowe household seems to suffer from seasonal allergies, we have all been battling phlegmy throats as ragweed levels spike.  Some of us worse than others; Madeleine has developed a Darth Vadar-like breathing and Gollum-like speaking voice, and has been coughing herself awake throughout the night.  Her allergy symptoms are relatively mild when she's up and about throughout the day, but each night of coughing leads to a pretty raspy start to the day.  Or, as she put it to me this morning upon getting up from bed, "Yeah, I was just COUGHING in my bed.  It HURT my feelings.  I was just COUGHING like this (forcibly coughing in my face.)  In my BED!  And... coughing is just STINKY."

Poor kiddo.  I hate it when my cough hurts my feelings.

It's no wonder, then, that the latest favorite play-time activity is "doctor," using Julia's big plastic doctor's kit.  Last night, Ethan and I were the patients, he tended by Dr. Madeleine and me by Dr. Julia.  This morning, since Ethan was off at work, I, along with several baby dolls, was a patient of both kids.  Having now been treated by both Doctors Julia AND Madeleine, I am able to respect the differences in their medical approach, specifically in the way various standard medical equipment is used.  While Madeleine chose to use the otoscope to blow-dry my hair and Julia used it to look in my ears, I truly got fully attentive care from both doctors, regardless of the difference in their techniques.

Seeing how differently the girls used the doctor's kit items made me wonder if Madeleine has any understanding of what the items are actually supposed to be.  I sat the girls down separately to ask them what each item was, and got some interesting answers.

ITEM #1:  Blood Pressure Cuffs

ME: What is this?
JULIA: A blood pressure thing.
MADELEINE: Um... for teaching how your heart feels burning your HEART.


ITEM #2: Stethoscope

ME: What is this?
JULIA: A stethocsope. 
(So close!)
MADELEINE: Um...that's for...for doing your HEART.  For doing your heart down your TUMMY.


ITEM #3: Otoscope

ME: What is this?
JULIA: An ear thingy.
MADELEINE: That's for drying your HAIR.  And that's for putting in your ears, too!


ITEM #4: Reflex Hammer

ME: What is this?
JULIA: A reflex thingy.
MADELEINE: Um, that's for knocking on your KNEES!


ITEM #5: Syringe

ME: What is this?
JULIA: A shot thingy.
MADELEINE: Um...that's a shot that you can shot on your ARM.


ITEM #6: Scalpel

ME: What is this?
JULIA: Sharpy knifey.
MADELEINE: Um...that's for cutting your TUMMY.


ITEM #7: Beeper

ME: What is this?
JULIA: A beeper.
MADELEINE: Um...that's a BEEPER!

Hallelujah!  We have a consensus!  I am so relieved to know that no matter which doctor I get, despite the fact that Madeleine might think in order to diagnose my ear infection she must dry my hair, both girls can at least identify a beeper.  So when I'm in the middle of my C-section with a shot on my arm and a hammer knocking on my knees, I can rest assured that Madeleine will hustle off and leave me on the examining table as soon as she is beeped on her beeper.  PHEW.