Giggles & Scribbles Issue #17
Personal Stories and Writing Gold
About the Newsletter
Welcome to the seventeenth edition of Giggles & Scribbles. You will enjoy personal stories from my life that often bring a giggle, especially when they include my three monsters. I will also add a tip from writing, reading, or goal-making. Every Thursday, I will publish an issue including one personal story and 1-2 tips on either writing, reading, or goal-making.
I aim to share my journey and keep you coming back for more!
Personal Story:
A Comedic Duo
Yesterday, I took my son to his annual doctor's appointment.
Though he was happy to be getting out of school two hours early, he quickly pointed out that he was missing his favorite class.
Fail!
I made it up to him with some fries and sweet tea. Faster than lightning, I was the World's Best Mom again.
While in the waiting room, I read my book (Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by: Matthew Perry) and my son looked on his phone.
But not for long.
I didn’t even finish a paragraph when I heard grunts and gasps of disgust.
I looked over and he was looking at the TV. I didn’t look at it because if he was grossed out, I surely would be as well.
“What is it?” I inquired.
“A show called ‘Dr. Pimple Popper.’ I think I’m going to be sick.”
I stifled a laugh and remembered a mortifying joke my father used to say to me.
“Hey! Come here. Let me pop your pimples. I can use it for the cream in an eclair.”
I don’t think his eyes have ever gotten that big before.
“What the fu—!”
He knew better than to finish that word, but I told him the story of my dad and said I was kidding.
“Can’t Take A Joke Nathan,” wiped his brow. “Phew! I was really worried.”
We got called into the room shortly afterward. While waiting for the doctor, he had to strip down. He looked nervously at the nurse practitioner. “Um. Do I have to take off my underwear?” She laughed. “No!”
When she shut the door and he started undressing, I couldn’t help myself.
I whistled, catcalled, and winked. He attempted to cover himself with his sad, little paper gown. I just kept on going. “Is that chest hair!” “I see your nipple!” I laughed non-stop throughout the experience.
The doctor came in and asked if this was where the party was.
We both laughed and he gruffly stated, “Yes. My mother is crazy.”
“Crazy for you, buddy” was my light-hearted retort.
He had her cracking up with his silly comments and questions.
When she agreed with me that his sleep schedule was not enough, he said, “Oh no. My life is over at 12, 13 in 2 and a half months. I wonder how many minutes.”
She told him he was getting his last HPV immunization shot, he swiftly looked it up. Urgently, he cried, “Hurry up! Give me the shot, I don’t want warts on my penis. He’s my best friend.”
I had to insert the fact that if he got a sexually transmitted disease, his penis would fall off.
Big eyes again.
“Nooooooooo!”
I said, “Yup! See, it’s a good thing to wait until you’re married to have sex.”
He thought for a moment and proclaimed, “Nope. Worth the risk.”
The doctor and I were rolling.
He was informed that he was in the 99.69% for weight.
He asked what that meant. I told him, “Simple. It means out of 100 boys your age, you are heavier than all except a third of one kid.”
“Seriously?”
“Yup.”
“Oh no! I have childhood obesity!”
She laughed and said no, he was fine since he was active, tall, and ate (relatively) healthy.
We had to schedule blood work, so off we went to the front desk.
We scheduled his blood work for this morning.
The two ladies loved our vibe.
When they said he had to fast, he asked for how long.
I answered, “Only for five days.”
Big eyes made yet another appearance.
“Oh no! I cannot do that. I will not survive.”
Drama king.
When we were driving home, he informed me that even though Tuesdays and Thursdays were his least favorite school days, his first class was his favorite.
Double Fail!
I can’t seem to get it right!
I appeased him through his stomach again. I promised a big, hearty breakfast at Keke’s after he gave blood.
Back to the doctor’s office and into the phlebotomy lab. This was fun. As they were pulling blood from him, he asked why they needed so much.
The nurse said she only needed three and explained how some need to give double digits!
“I would die,” he dramatically stated simply.
I intervened. “Well, Nathan, you know why she is taking three right?”
He shook his head.
“Two are for the lab and one is for her lunch. After all, she IS a vampire.”
A final look at big eyes. He glared at her, then me, (of course, I had my serious face on), and back at the Vampire Nurse.
“Umm. Okay. At least you aren’t taking double digits.”
Tip of the Day:
The Best Type of Medicine
After writing about my son, I easily went into how laughter is truly the best medicine.
I decided to look it up online and was told via “AI Overview” that the saying is attributed to Proverbs 17:22 in the Bible, which states, “A merry heart doeth good like medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones”.
I’ve also heard that it takes more muscles to produce a frown than a smile.
Additionally, I feel strongly that I read a statistic once before proving that people who laugh regularly live longer.
I’m no doctor, but all signs point to laughter being a good thing.
I have mentioned (I believe) in a previous newsletter how my family has been fighting off a visit from the flu. Well, I’m near the end of it, but I have to say, those moments of laughter with my son gave me such relief. I felt better all around!
Even the constant cough stopped during that time.
So, if you are feeling icky, I’d highly recommend watching a comedy. 😄
XO,
Erica
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