Send in the clowns

Yesterday Em me had a specialty appointment at the Children's Hospital which is internationally known and is also part of the health system where I work. They have innovative programs for children like computers in waiting room, ipods in patient rooms, child life centers and the clowns. The clowns you ask, are two men who travel together with a program whose name is escaping me at the moment. I've seen them in the cafeteria in the past but never "at work". They are always around visiting sick kids on the inpatient units like oncology, adolescent psychiatry, surgery and anywhere else they can make a child smile. So wasn't I surprised to see them walking down the hall decked out in their finest clown duds complete with musical instruments. So clown #1 enters our waiting area and sees just us...."ahhh he says, we need to make this special". He starts singing to Emme while blowing her bubbles. She LOVES bubbles. She is smitten. Clown #2 starts playing his accordion and has Emme dancing in the waiting room. There is a fire drill so we are kept where we are and the gentlemen ended up staying about 15 minutes entertaining my entranced daughter. All of a sudden they begin to sing (with accordion accompaniment of course) "SKIP TO MY LOU". Within 30 seconds they called in the four receptionists who came out from behind their work station and they and the clowns are all circling Emme.....skip skip skip to my lou, skip, skip, skip to my lou, skip, skip, skip to my lou....skip to my lou my darlin. It's one of those moments you wish you had a camera. She was clapping and dancing her little heart out and threw kisses to the clowns as they departed. She was a perfect little patient and I really liked the doctor who was seeing her for an evaluation (one of several on my list). Now I know why he can't take any new patients though I managed to somehow finagle one colleague to colleague. We got good news and celebrated by letting Em pick out a little something in the gift shop. She chose "Austin", her favorite Backyardigan. It's very cute to see her carry him around since he's small and fits in her hands.