Hunting season has begun. I’m not talking about wading through a dense forest to take out an unsuspecting deer though. I’m talking about scurrying throughout town in desperate search of a flu shot. That’s how I spent a good part of last week.

After calling my pediatrician’s office and coming up empty handed, I knew I was in for some investigative work. Yes, I began stalking the flu shot at CVS. I called the drug store nearly every day and after two visits, I was tipped off that a supply would be coming via UPS Thursday at noon. I packed up all three kids in the car and headed to CVS that afternoon.

When I arrived, I discovered that a lot of other people had been tipped off, too. I had 12 people in line ahead of me just waiting to sign in. There were another five or six waiting for the flu shot.

One would think that having three small children would give me a free cut or two in line, but no one was offering me a lifeline. Whatever happened to women and children first? Showing up with three children under age 4 qualifies as a sinking ship if you ask me. It became apparent that I would have to regroup and come back in the morning with a better game plan.

I returned to the CVS Minute Clinic when it opened at 8:30 a.m. Friday. This time I had about eight people ahead of me. I came prepared with snacks and drinks for the kids. I also bribed them with the opportunity to select a cheap toy if they behaved in line. Ordinarily, I wouldn’t stoop to bribery, but I can hardly think of riskier places for meltdowns than standing in line at a store. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Eli got some strange stares as he kept saying, “Mommy, I want my flu shot. I want my flu shot.” He knew that was all that stood between him and a new Hot Wheels Car. Mila eyed a stuffed kitten and that was the only motivation she needed to walk the line. All in all, I think the $6 investment was totally worth a stress free 45-minute wait in line.

Siler was super easy. I know. The third born doesn’t even get a toy. He was too young to know though. As long as I had an endless supply of Cheerios within his reach, he was a happy little guy. Thankfully, Siler was able to get his flu a few weeks ago, and he had an appointment scheduled for his second dose already.

The people standing in line with me should be thankful. I had children who were quite content about having a sharp piece of metal shoved into their skin. I saw their panicked and horrified looks as I walked in with three children. I think I even saw an eye roll or two.

When we finally got into the room with the nurse, I pushed up my sleeves and prepared to go first. I think it’s only fair that I demonstrate to my kids that a shot is no big deal. Then I nominated Mila to go second, mainly because I thought she’d cry the least. She’s a tough cookie when it comes to shots. She didn’t even whimper and immediately gave me a hug and asked for her cat.

Then it was Eli’s turn. As a baby, he would cry at the top of his lungs after a shot and turn so red that I’d think his head was about to explode off his little body. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but to my surprise, he turned bright red but no sound came out. “Don’t cry, don’t cry. It’s all over,” I said.

Hooray! Mission accomplished! We had survived the Minute Clinic without creating a scene. We walked out the door, and those waiting in line were shocked that they heard no screams and saw no tears. I love defying expectations. Sometimes the craziest person in line is not the one with three children. .

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