Panel audience, in my considered opinion, are assheads.
Thanks, all, for the continued good vibes. Matilda has a new med, an amoxicillin suspension that's even gooier and gloppier, but (though still gross) is merely disgusting, rather than redolent of Satanic sphincter. And she took her first dose all by herself, albeit tearfully and with much complaining, so that's another total win. Plus, it's only 1 tsp twice a day instead of 2 tsp thrice. I pinky-promised her a Merida doll with a bow and arrow (for the doll, not her) if she makes it through the week without giving up or flipping out, and this seems so far to be highly motivating.
While picking up the new med (available only at one pharmacy, downtown) we also stopped at Old Navy to spend the rest of my birthday gift card on school clothes (scored an excellent Wonder Woman shirt) and a handful of spare change at Ross on a new backpack. She dithered over several princessy and Dora-y ones, then homed in on a black and pink number with "Pretty In Pink" faux-graffiti'd across the front and a skull and crossbones with pink jeweled eye sockets, and cooed, "Ooh, spooky! Jilli would love this one!"
Jilli has mentioned that small kids tend to look at her and think, "Oh, a real live cartoon character!" She's not wrong. Except that Matilda clearly thinks, "Oh, a real live cartoon character and fashion guru!"
Also, completely random report: on walking to the first pharmacy through a residential neighborhood full of condos for sale, I discovered that there is a realtor in San Francisco named Lydia Dietz. At first that seemed like an awfully pedestrian career choice for Lydia, but then it occurred to me that possibly she's made it her life's mission to join quirky and beloved homes with exactly the right owners, and protect those homes from pretentious asshats bent on gutting them, destroying their legacies and pissing off all their ghosts. Or possibly she's just bent on making sure no ghost ever has reason to call on Beetle... that guy, ever again. Actually, kind of a noble mission.