Monday - "I picked this for you..."

[ninanevermore]

Today on my drive into work, I was thinking about how becoming a parent almost 2 years ago has changed me, in that I accept things that I would never have accepted at any other point in my life. This weekend, I accepted a booger that was handed to me. Not only did I accept it, I said "Thank you" when I took it, as if this were the kind of desirable thing that people hand to me all the time.

"I traded it for a box of apple juice," I told Jeff a few minutes later, after getting rid of the sticky gift and washing my hands. "This was not a trade up for me."

"That was nice of you," he said.

"Wasn't it though? He was chewing on the booger and then he saw the apple juice, so he handed me what he had in his mouth so he could drink the juice. And I didn't just take it, I thanked him for it."

Jeff looked thoughtful. "I wonder if it was a good booger?"

"Obviously it wasn't as good as apple juice."

"Apparently not."

"I guess this means I'm a mom now," I said, shaking my head. "It's official. If someone had tried to hand me a booger before, I wouldn't have taken it. I would have moved away from them and maybe tripped over my feet trying to run in the other direction."

"I don't think he meant anything by it."

"No, it just got me to thinking about how children put a new perspective on everything."

"Tell me about it," he said, "Getting peed on doesn't at all have the same meaning it used to..."

I looked my husband in the face and sighed. Our marriage is based on honesty, and sometimes this forces me to state the obvious.

"You're a sick man. You know that, right?"

Hearing this from a woman who just traded a booger for a box of apple juice must have struck him as ironic, because he laughed.

I don't want anyone reading this to get the idea that I am willing to accept a booger from just anyone. This was a special booger from a special person. If I ever meet any of you on the street, please don't try to hand me any treasures you find in your nose. I will not accept them, and I won't thank you. I will probably move away from you, and maybe trip over my feet as I try to run and get away.

Comments

a special booger

[erisreg.livejournal.com]

and probably just a single item in a long line of personal gifts,..;D

[http://users.livejournal.com/batty_/]

i completely understand.

Re: a special booger

[neanahe.livejournal.com]

I don't want to think about it...

[neanahe.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure I could muster the kind laughter; I would have tried to get away. This was the first time in my life that I accepted mucus (dried or otherwise) with any kind of grace. :P

[neanahe.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I appreciate the empathy... ;)

[highlandwolf.livejournal.com]

Yeah, those changes are certainly more obvious on some days, than others! You are a parent, and a good one - so you can also look forward to some of the really good changes and good memories too!

[eiaboca.livejournal.com]

That is really sweet, in a...I was going to say disturbing way, but it's not really disturbing. It's just sweet.

[m-malcontent.livejournal.com]

I think its neat......parents are special people

[georgiaskydiver.livejournal.com]

I don't want anyone reading this to get the idea that I am willing to accept a booger from just anyone. This was a special booger from a special person. If I ever meet any of you on the street, please don't try to hand me any treasures you find in your nose. I will not accept them, and I won't thank you.

Drat! I had a special gift picked out just for you . . .

[neanahe.livejournal.com]

Yikes. Don't take this the wrong way, but I don't ever want my son to tell people that I'm his hero because I am the sort of person that acts polite and grateful when handed a booger.

But who am I kidding? That's exactly the kind trait he's going to love.

[neanahe.livejournal.com]

I'm a flawed parent who sometimes rises to the challenge. I just try to do it with humor and grace (usually with more of the first and only a token amount of the second). :)

[neanahe.livejournal.com]

The apple juice part was sweet. The other part, I'm assuming, was more salty... o_O

[neanahe.livejournal.com]

Speaking for myself, I'm an ordinary person who, at the age of 35, took on an extraordinary and life-altering responsibility. I try to rise to the occasion, and for my trouble I am rewarded with wet kisses and half-eaten boogers. I have to admit that there are some parts of this that I like better than others....

[neanahe.livejournal.com]

You can return that thing back to where ever you found it. I already have plenty, thank you!

[neanahe.livejournal.com]

Ah, yes, he's mommy's little robber baron. I'm so proud! ;P

[sidneymintz.livejournal.com]

I pick a little nose almost every day. It's a bonding thing :)

[neanahe.livejournal.com]

I used to hold mine down and shove the aspirator (a.k.a. "the snot sucker thingie") up his nose. He used to glare at me when I was done. I felt bonded, he just felt ticked off, but at least he could breath again. :)

[whirring-mind.livejournal.com]

That is the sweetest booger story I've heard to date. Thank you. :)

[neanahe.livejournal.com]

You welcomed. It seems sweet to you because you weren't the one left holding someone else's booger in your bare hand... ;)