Sweet Tart Candy Balls

L, who will be 3 on Friday, was sitting on the couch watching TV, picking his nose.

I said, "Honey, do you need a Kleenex?"

He never takes his eyes from the TV and says, "No, I just put this wittle ball in my nose."

I came to the realization that I have finally reached that place in motherhood where I do not panic when my child sticks something up his nose which I may, or may not, be able to get out on my own.

I walked to the couch, tilted his head back, and there it was...a green sweet tart candy ball way up in his left nostril. I continued to not panic. My other son would have blown it out as soon as it went in because he can not tolerate anything in his nose, but not this child. This is the child who will not blow his nose when he has a cold no matter how much I beg and plead. After several times of asking him to please blow and only getting a big smile, I said, "I want you to blow that ball out of there just like Grave Digger does!" We went to see the monster trucks over the summer, and believe me, this child has no problem imitating Grave Digger. So he takes a huge breath, I hold the right nostril, and he blows like crazy! It moved to the bottom of the nostril!, I then hooked a fingernail around it, pressed on the side of his nose and popped it out like birthing a baby!

He looked at me and said, "Can I eat it now?" Ewwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!

I said, "No!"

Our "ball up the nose" dilemma was over, until next time!

Now, for some history....When I was 3, I pulled a bead off my grandmother's decorative match box and stuck it up my nose....WAY up my nose. The problem with bead vs. candy is that beads do not eventually melt like the yellow M&M that my brother stuck up his nose when he was little. My mom was called home from work, and I was taken to the ER where I refused to let the doctor touch my nose. My mom said if I would behave and let the doctor take the bead out, I could have the monkey I had been wanting in the Western Auto window in town. I got my monkey! :)