The one where I write a letter of complaint to Reader's Digest

So I'm home with the kids again today. Reina has had a cold all week and until today it was one of those colds that makes her too sick to go to school, but not sick enough where she wants to lie on the couch and nap all day but would rather race around the house shrieking, demanding snacks every 10 minutes and wanting to help me type. I stayed home on Tuesday but made Will go to school for a few hours so that I could attempt to get a few work projects done. I've discovered that Reina likes having me to herself in the car. Before picking Will up at lunch, Reina and I ran a few errands and here's a sampling of the non-stop chattering that goes on in the backseat.

R: Mom, do you like clowns?

M: Yah, I like clowns. (I don't really but no point in adding to her list of Things Reina Doesn't Like which is long enough already. More on that later.)

R: Do you like cookies?

M: Yes, definitely.

R: Do you like coconuts?

M: Yes. (Someone learning all of the words that start with C?)

R: Look Mom, there's a castle!

M: Yes, that looks like a castle doesn't it. (It's actually a funeral home but we won't go there.)

R: Oh look another castle!

M: Yes that looks like a castle too. That's the Capitol Building!

R: The Capitol Building? What's that?

M: That's the place where people work, like how mommy and daddy have places where they work.

R: But why?

M: Well, that's just a place where people do lots of work. Hey look - a horse! (There's a statute of a bucking bronco outside of the Capitol.)

R: A horse?! I love horses! I ride a horse when I get bigger?

M: Yes, you can ride a horse when you get bigger. (Thankful to be done with the 'why people work' line of questioning.


Everyone went to school and work yesterday but Reina was a little droopy last night and her fever was back this morning so at some point I came to my senses and thought - ear infection. We dropped Will off at school for the morning again, despite his protestations of "But I'm sick too!" (Translation: I'd rather stay home and play with all of my legos and Capt Jack Sparrow and watch cartoons, thanks.) and headed to the doctor. Knowing the long wait that would be ahead of us in the treatment room, I grabbed a copy of the latest Reader's Digest because there are usually enough cat food ads and pictures of animals to keep Reina entertained.

Fast forward a few minutes later and we are flipping through the pages, looking at a cute picture of a baby monkey and its mommy and then bam! We turn the page and see this.

Yep, that's Kermit the Frog in handcuffs. Long story short, it was a jokey article about the year in review and how some website had a whole Occupy Sesame Street thing going on and blah blah blah. Reina sees that and FREAKS OUT! Why is that guy pushing that muppet?! Why is he wearing those things?! (pointing to handcuffs) What happened?!

I kept trying to explain that it was just a silly picture and Kermit wasn't really in trouble and I kept trying to turn the page. She would have none of it and her consternation was only interrupted when the doctor finally came in the room.

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I thought that would be the end of the story until Will came downstairs after his nap, while I'm writing this post, sees the picture and says "Why is Kermit going to jail?"

Darn you, Reader's Digest.

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P.S. Glenn is confused why I labeled this post "reasons why I need an Ipad." BECAUSE, if I had an Ipad, I could have taken it with me to the doctor's office and entertained Reina with educational games and activities that would not have freaked her out and scarred her for life. Like a handcuffed Kermit. Just putting it out there....