Looks can be deceiving

I wound up at the pediatrician's office today, for Ryan and Audrey.

Don't worry, Ben was attended to at his allergist's office yesterday.  I am ever-so-grateful for this word:  copay.  For both doctor visits and prescriptions, I don't think there is a more beautiful word. 

I think I may add them all up at the end of the year (I'll have to do it anyway for tax time) and spend that amount on myself, as a gift to me for all the time and suffering I endure whilst they are sick.  The hours and hours of time I will never recoup waiting in reception areas, in the actual rooms themselves, or for that "we'll have the nurse call you back" phone call.  Not to mention the time spent smoothing hair off hot foreheads hoping the Tylenol kicks in soon. 

With all these somewhat sickly children, I will probably be able to buy a very nice purse. 

In Italy.

Anyway, much to Audrey's delight, we were in the Princess room.  Disney princesses on the walls, it's a room we've actually not been in since they remodeled (imagine that) and it's quite cute.  The doctor came in, and was talking to me about what's been going on, and as he was examining Ryan, he looked over at Audrey, who was sitting next to him, politely waiting her turn.  She looked so adorable, and as he looked at her, she made a cute face and grinned at him.

"Man, she is so cute, look at her,"  the pediatrician said.  He's a friend of ours, so I felt perfectly comfortable with my reply:

"That one, she's the devil,"  I deadpanned.

As if on cue, Audrey morphed her face into something infinately more bratty, and indeed, scary and devilish.

"No way,"  he said.

"You know what they say, about looks being deceiving..."

"I don't believe that for a minute."  He looked at her again.

And she smiled as sweetly as if he'd handed her a bouquet of flowers, like the little Princess she can be.

He has no idea.