double trouble and other complaints

I went in to check on the girls before going to bed last night to find Eve drenched in tears and clutching her ears. In some ways I really don't like how she's in a bunk bed now because I can't just sit on her bed and take her in my arms - I could only sort of reach up and pat her arm comfortingly. She had clearly been crying for a while and was in a great deal of pain.

We had taken her to the doctor on Sunday because she had been complaining about her right ear aching and when my kids get ear aches, they are usually the full-blown, why-didn't-you-bring-her-in-earlier kind of infection. But Mr. Oregon doctor assured us that it was just a tiny infection and would probably go away on it's own. He handed me the antibiotic prescription, but said I should wait a few days to see if she really needed it. I was ready to embrace this new attitude, so we dutifully put the prescription aside.

Fast forward to last night. Thanks, Mr. Oregon doctor! A double ear infection later, I think I will be driving directly to my Target pharmacy next time, thankyouverymuch.

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I kept Eve home from school and she's been driving us a bit nuts. For a girl with a lot of pain in both ears, she has a remarkable amount of energy. We dropped off the prescription at Target and ran to the library for story time. We have a very pretty libary in a lovely new building, but it is sadly open only a few days a week due to some crisis in the county budget. Closing libraries seems like a misplacement of priorities, but at least they have a beautiful children's section with a ton of books and a nice story time.

Eve was ecstatic to find Magic Treehouse #10 today. She had to make do with #11 at her school library day yesterday, but she is (not surprisingly) a little compulsive and really likes reading them in order. Her school librarian, however, did ask her if she had permission from her teacher to check it out. Permission? Was it in the restricted section? My mom the librarian would never have done that! I was a little bit annoyed that they seem to assume that kindergartners should only be looking at Miss Spider and Curious George. That's my complaint for this section.

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After the library we rushed back to Target to get her prescription and stopped briefly to look for jeans in my fruitless quest to buy my kids new jeans. Last week, both Eve and Eleanor tore holes in the knees of their jeans (Eve in two pairs!) and I have been questing ever since. First of all, it's the wrong time of year to be looking for jeans. Second of all, I really wanted a pair that wouldn't tear through the knees in 4 months like Eve's last pair. Thirdly, I am having the hardest time finding a pair that will actually fit Eve. She is now in the "Girls" section and the jeans there are cut like women's jeans. Low rise? Skinny fit? Extra flare? Why can't I find her a pair of little girl jeans, since that is what she is? Where do you buy your girls jeans? Any help?

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This is a random complaint, but the jeans made me think of it. Why am I having such a hard time finding Eve a buddy here in Oregon? We have had a few girls come over to play and they have all been friends from church. And while the visits haven't been a total disaster, I have been a little bit surprised by the junior-high catiness I've observed. They have all seemed to have complete disdain for all of Eve's interests - dinosaurs, drawing, My Little Ponies, dress ups. Is Eve socially stunted? Does it have something to do with the jeans triggering some early pubescence? Does wearing lowrise, superflare jeans at the age of 6 turn little girls into mini teenagers?

Enough complaints. I should go find the patient and encourage two teaspoons of antibiotics into her. And then I will try to encourage a nap into both of them.