Sick?

Does this look like a child with two infections?
No, I don't think so either.

Clio came down with yet another cold over the weekend (will winter ever end?) and this morning, on top of being fussier and clingier than usual, she said, quite directly, "ear hurts." This was very helpful, as the mild ear-tugging could have been associated with teething and I likely would have sent her off to day care, business as usual. Apparently it's also quite impressive- the Dr. told be later that this kind of direct communication of discomfort usually doesn't happen until kids are 3 or 4. (It's funny- I often hear variations on the theme that you get the kid you can handle; I always say I could never make my home in a country where English is not the native language because the nuance of communication is just too important to me. I guess a precociously -communicative child is just right for me.)

Anyway, off we went to the Dr., who confirmed that yes, Clio definitely has one infected ear and one questionable ear. While we were there, I casually had her look at a little blister on Clio's leg, which seemed to sprout an accompanying rash overnight. Guess what? It's a skin infection. In my surprise, I forgot to ask what causes such a thing; I suspect diaper chafing and possibly the new brand of wipes.

The good news is, Clio was perfectly cheerful all afternoon, and seemed to enjoy her day on the town, from the toys in the pediatrician's waiting room to the shelves and shelves of all kinds of things at Rite Aid. The drugstore is, of course, where we found these Dora sunglasses. Followers of the blog will know that Clio was a big fan of one-year-old David's sunglasses when we visited the Jersey Shore a few weeks ago; lately she has tried to wear Mommy's glasses, but they're just too big. She also tries to take Daddy's glasses of his face, and since those are for actual vision, it's simply a no-no.

We may or may not have mentioned how much Clio LOVES Dora the Explorer, from the doll that my brother Rory gave her for Christmas (just like Lucia's) to the show itself, which she often requests and we generally deny (perhaps the two episodes I let her watch this morning before the Dr.'s had something to do with her excellent mood.) It was quite a delight to find these pink, sparkly, DORA sunglasses, expertly placed in the diaper aisle by some shrewd marketing peeps over at Nickelodeon. She spent much of the afternoon putting them on and off two of her babies and Paris's cat (who continues to be a BIG favorite.) When Daddy came home, Clio not only showed him her new glasses, but insisted he take some additional photos of her sporting the new accessory. Which he did.

I had a hard time narrowing down the 20-some photos to just a handful.