At 26 months, Tuck and Emi are seasoned consumers of health care already. Here are some things they know:

1. That the pain of any owie can be reduced by 1st) an ice cube and 2nd) a kiss.

2. That Mama can fix anything broken or cut -- "with tape."

3. That in addition to cough syrup, there exists burp syrup, sneeze syrup, and, um, fart syrup. They came up with all of this themselves. The general idea seems to be that any sound emanating from your body that you didn't intend can be cured by a syrup.

4. That BandAids are decorative, fun to wear on clothes, and perfect for sticking onto other people -- but should on no account be applied to the skin, especially not in the case of an actual injury.

Tuck has been having more trouble with fluid in his ears, so the other day at Coop Emi packed up a stuffed dog in a carrier case.

Chrissy: Where are you taking the doggie, Emi?
Emi: Taking to doctor to check his ears.
(She opens the cage, pulls the dog out, and peers into each of his ears.)
Emi: Checking for bunny rabbits.
(This is what our doctor always says. Emi then mimes putting something in the dog's mouth.)
Emi: Giving doggie a medicine. All better!

Then the next day, at breakfast, I hear Emi reciting to herself -- they can't really sing yet --
Emi: Old lady swallowed a spider. It wiggled and jiggled and tickled inside her.
Me: Emi, are you singing "The Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly"?
Emi: Yah.
Me (singing): She swallowed the spider to catch the fly, I don't know why she swallowed the fly, perhaps she'll die.
Tuck (sounding shocked): Go to doctor!