and it pinched Michael’s skin, when he tried it the other way, it did the same thing. Michael was choking and nearly unconscious because the zipper was stuck. Dr. Lachman finally got it open and Michael quickly came around. Unfortunately while all this was going on I was in a panic and said out loud that every time my mother comes over something bad happens. Obvi- ously my mother didn’t take that too well. And it wasn’t true, what I meant was that every time she came over it seemed that some minor disaster spoiled her visit for her. I felt terrible about saying it and being misunderstood and she felt insulted. Michael once reminded me that Nana Dora always said that you shouldn’t spit in the water if you plan to drink it. Absolutely right. SOUR PICKLES Frankie always wanted a sour pickle. It became a refrain around the house, “Mommy, can I have a sour pickle?” When I thought he was having too many I would tell him that our doctor, Dr. Lach- man, had said that he didn’t want Frank to have too many, that they weren’t good for his health. Once Frankie was running a fever and I called Dr. Lachman to examine him. That wasn’t easy. Dr. Lachman tried to insert a tongue depressor but Frankie clamped shut. Then, when the good doctor tried to tell Frankie that he just wanted to see his teeth, Frankie simply opened his lips. In
Frank and Mike at the Photographer’s Studio
the meantime Michael had gotten his stethoscope from his toy medical kit and was asking Dr. Lach- man to let him examine the doctor. At some point Frankie asked the doctor if it was all right to eat sour pickles. The doctor told him he could eat all he wanted – which put me in a pickle. The doctor prescribed two pills for Frankie that I got confused about. While I was silently sorting it out in my head Frankie told me that the chocolate one was for the fever and the other one for aches and pains. I hadn’t even spoken my question! I AM NOT A CUPCAKE The next day, while Michael was getting washed to go visit Nana Dora, he announced that he was not a pumpkin pie or a cupcake. He said that Aunt Ida wanted to eat him up. She uses those terms of affection for her boys and must have tried them on Michael. He didn’t take it as a compliment. REVERSE PSYCHOLOGY It’s not easy but sometimes you can outsmart the kids. Once at Sylvia’s we were invited to stay for dinner. Frankie started worrying that Aunt Sylvia would force him to eat and he started a long list of reasons he couldn’t eat at her house including the fact that he didn’t eat with a fork. When dinner time rolled around Sylvia told him that if he didn’t like the food, he didn’t have to eat. That did it. Frankie ate beautifully and even stole some potatoes off Michael’s and his Aunt Sylvia’s plates. The next day he notified me that Aunt Sylvia was a much better cook than I was.
Frank and Mike Reading a Book
141
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator