Raisins!!!

Well....... last week was eventful in our home!

I had just gotten over being ill the weekend prior and finally started to feel better. Monday was a big day full of both a field trip for school and dance class, plus our regular routine. Then, Tuesday came and to my dismay my husband had to leave on a business trip. He went to Tennessee for training in the world of coding, for doctors and office staff. We got all three little ones up really early on Tuesday morning and our little "party of five" drove to the airport to see Daddy off.

I never like it when he travels. I used to really hate the commute he had in Oklahoma. Just too many crazy drivers out there for me!! "They", always say flying is safer, so says my brother-in-law, and other more knowledgeable aviation folks. I guess he knows, he's a pilot in the Air Force. In fact... side note.... he flew into Easterwood last week and we went to see him land and the kids got to look inside his plane. More about that in a later post. Back to my story.....

So, we dropped Daddy off at the airport and went to get Kolache's. We then drove home and prayed for a safe flight for Daddy that would soon be taking off. We hung around the house and had quite a nice day. My usual routine whenever Joe travels or when he used to do in-house overnight calls, is to let the kids play outside late in the afternoon and feed our dogs. Then we come in fairly early and do a simple kid friendly dinner and early baths. Then we usually play a game and read stories and they have an early bedtime. I always seem to need that little extra time in the evening to prepare for another few days without Joe here.

I made Mac and Cheese. The kids were giddy!! They love Kraft Mac and Cheese. Not homemade. The Blue Box. The fake cheese. That is what they love! Anyway, they ate. Nathan decided it was time to use the potty. So in the middle of dinner off he went. I was preparing to feed Sarah. Had the food heating. Natalie decides she would like some raisins since she was done with her dinner. She runs her little Natalie run to the pantry, points, and says, "Please may I have some raisins?". "Sure", I thought.... at least she was asking for raisins and not candy or something else of that nature. I placed the raisins on the table like I had done a million times before. Sarah began to cry. She was in her highchair and unhappy. She was hungry. I then heard a shriek from the bathroom. Nathan needed my help. Do you feel the chaos beginning to emerge?? I was in the bathroom helping Nathan, when I hear a shriek from the kitchen. Natalie was now crying!!! All three for a brief moment were upset. Help me Lord!!! "Help me not to lose it", I thought. I asked Natalie what was wrong. "It stuck", she said. I thought, "oh she got it stuck in her teeth" . I approached the table and she was pointing to HER NOSE!!! Exasperated, I said..... "Natalie did you stick the raisin in your nose?" "Uh, hun", she said in her weepy little voice. I stood still for a moment and thought about the irony that was occurring. My doctor husband is gone for the first night out of town since we moved here and this happens. I quickly searched for a pen light. I have a million of these from my nursing days, and Joe of course does too. However, in one of my mad decluttering days I sent them all to his office, except one. The one in which suddenly the light no longer works. I went into the mudroom and got the flashlight ( the old kind with the huge block of a battery ). It was heavy!! I told Natalie to come lay down, so I could be sure it was REALLY in her nose. Sarah was still crying ready to be fed. Nathan luckily had finished in the bathroom, and was eager to see what the commotion was about. I laid her down and had to let Sarah cry for a bit. I looked. It was hard to see. I needed another hand. I thought, "This would be easier if it were a pink Tic-Tac, I was looking for!! But raisins are dark and her nose is so little. Finally, I enlisted the help of Nathan to hold the flashlight and point it at her nose. I ran and got my tweezers. This of course terrified my sweet little girl. She was sobbing. I looked again. There it was..... a raisin past all those tiny nose hairs. I tried to reach in with the tweezers, but they were too big and not long enough. "Great", I thought. So...... I soon realized I would be needing to go to the ER. I couldn't be positive that she only put one up her nostril and knew I couldn't get it out. I called my parents. They quickly came over and brought some extra long tweezers they had. I am amazed that during the time I was getting us (Natalie and I) read to leave, she was actually happy. She would point and say it hurts but would twirl around and laugh and play with Sarah until Grandmommy and Grandaddy arrived. I called Joe. You can imagine his thoughts!!! "What?" and "Your kidding, right?" ...... he suggested trying again when my parents got there. We did, however the tweezers were big, and every time I would begin to try to put the tweezers in her nose she would jerk. She was really freaked out about it all. The last thing I need was to stab her accidentally with the the sharp end of the tweezers. So, off we went to the ER. My parents fed Sarah and put her to bed and kept Nathan busy. I called Joe when we got to the ER. Of course, we walked in right behind the mom holding her child with her older child by her side holding a trashcan with a liner in it. Not a good sign. "Please God protect us from getting sick", I pleaded. We just got over the respiratory crud. I signed in and called Joe. This is where it pays to know a doctor and really pays to be married to one. Joe called the ER doctor and told him what happened and that he was in Tennessee. Within minutes we were taken back to a break room and his PA, saw us. He whipped out this instrument, which I now must have. Seriously... I think that all Moms should have one. It looks like the loop end of a knitting needle... except fatter. When you press the button on the handle it lights up blue in color. I believe these are really for digging out ear wax. I held Natalie and he reached in and out came a mini grape. The raisin had expanded a bit from and the tears and nasal drainage. He looked again and my little girl was telling the truth only one raisin and none on the other side. She was great. He told me what to watch for and we were done.

As I carried her to the car, she said in her sweet little precious girl voice, "I did good mommy". I laughed and said, "Natalie you were a brave girl". Then I thought, "of course we would not be at the ER if you didn't snort the raisin!"

While I was driving home, I gave her the talk about how we will never put things in our nose. Then I thought to myself, "Laurie, if you had gone to Hope Group this would not have happened." And, " I should have called the Bacak's, I bet they had something to help get the Raisin out!"

Back at home my parents and Nathan welcomed the brave princess and my parents reminded me (as they secretly like to do) that when I was close to this age, I too, placed items in my nose. I however, chose 5 dried pinto beans. My mom had them out to cook and after seeing my brother playing with these, I couldn't resist. He would place one in the tip of his nose and close the other nostril with his finger and blow. The bean would shoot across the counter. I thought he was a genius!!! I too, however ended up in the ER.

Raisins!!! Who knew they make for such eventful memories for mommys'!