Little Doctor Ellie

One of the many unexpected side effects of parenting is constant illness. I knew that kids who go to preschool get sick all the time; I just didn't realize that I would be sick all the time, too. Because I'm a pediatrician, I had hoped that my occupationally-acquired immunity would protect me. Not so!

Today, I called in sick for the first time in nearly twelve years of practice. Among other things, I had completely lost my voice, and was walking around the house croaking inaudibly. Ellie got very impatient because she couldn't hear a word I was saying, so she finally went to her father and complained, "Mommy's mumbling!" He explained that I was mumbling because I was sick, and suggested that she might want to be nice to me since I wasn't feeling well. Her response was to tell me, "Mommy, you should take some Advil and try to feel better."

Yes, ma'am!