Tuesday, April 19, 2011  Dear staffers at the pediatrician's
office: pleas from a parent  Dear staffers at the pediatrician's
office,  First off, thank you for keeping my children healthy,
vaccinated and lollipop-licious. I am genuinely amazed by how
calm you remain in the face of bawling, screaming kids. Is there
some special anti-freakout antibiotic you receive, and where can
I get my hands on it? Also, how do you manage to stay healthy
despite being exposed to trillions of germs a day, yet I get
sick if my kid with a cold so much as blinks at me?  Anyway, I
appreciate all that you do. I have just a few small observations
and suggestions to share:  • There are two people in this world
who may call me "Mom." Sorry, but you are not one of them. My
first name works fine. So does "Goddess."  • I know you have
appointment slots to fill but when you call me at the office and
ask if I can come in with my child at 10:30 or 1:00 or 3:15, it
bugs me. Some mommies work. Perhaps you could note that in my
kids' files? "