Classic

It was one of those classic toddler moments.

As dinner was winding down tonight, my little one scampered off to play in the family room while the rest of us finished up. A few minutes later she came back to me with her finger up her nose saying, "Something's in my nose."

"So blow it out!" I said with my usual motherly compassion.

"I can't!" tears are starting now. "Wah!!!!!"

So I hoisted her up on my lap, laid her down so I could get a good look up her nose. Oh, no. There is something shiny up there. Way up there.

I had to hold her arms as she commenced to cry harder, so she wouldn't push it up even farther. Joe headed off to find a flashlight and tweezers. I decided the middle of the kitchen floor might be more conducive for the operation. As I'm manuevered Marie on my lap she was screaming,

"No poking! Nooooo pooooking!!!!!" because she saw the tweezers and remembered the last time they came out ( it involved pus and poking ).

So there we are; me on the floor spread legged, with Marie on her back between my legs, with her arms pinned under my legs. I am holding her head with both hands. Richard lays on top of her legs to keep her from kicking Joe. Rose holds the flashlight. Joe picks. And picks.

We are all traumatized because the baby is being traumatized. Her blood curdling screams are bringing tears to our eyes, but we know the alternative to this procedure is a trip to the emergency room.

Joe has to bend the tweezers to get a grip on the thing. After what seems like ten minutes, but was probably only two, he gets it right to the edge of her nostril.

"Blow! Blow! Like a rocket!" I say.

Out it comes. A bead. A shiny, multifaceted orange plastic bead. You know, the kind that look like jewels. I hold my baby to my chest as she cries out her trauma. I empathize and assure her that "It's all over now." Whew!

To understand the thought processes of a toddler would be an amazing thing. Why did she put the darn thing up there? I asked her. She didn't know. "Did you just want to see what would happen?" I querried. She nodded and cried some more.

Classic toddler moment. Sigh.