Amelia!

Amelia found me in the bathroom on Friday morning.  I was doing my whirlwind pick up routine that ends up not making a difference in the overall cleanliness of the house.  It goes something like this:


pick up socks on the bathroom floor, bring to laundry room.  Find William's library book, bring it to his room.  Deposit dirty socks into his book box and pick up 13 of the missing spoons and forks from under the bunk bed.  Bring cutlery into the kitchen and put the library book in the dishwasher and check the clock.  28 minutes until we have to leave.  Gemma runs by.  Hmmm...she's poopy.  I need to remember to call the guy about the newspaper, return the email to my boss, pick up favors for the Halloween party next week, sort through the outgrown clothes for my sister's kids and donation to the garage sale next week.  Change Gemma's diaper and discover a fork poking out of my back pocket.  Wash my hands and retrace my steps (or try).  12 minutes until we have to leave. 

I am back in our bathroom, trying put away the new rolls of toilet paper while simultaneously trying to prevent Gemma from emptying the entire cabinet of other bathroom products.  Task accomplished (10 minutes until it is time to go), Amelia and I had the following conversation:

Amelia: MOM!  Guess what?
Mom: What?
Amelia: You are supposed to GUESS mom!!!!
Mom: (the thought of guessing exhuasts me at the moment as I am preventing Gemma from diving head first into the bathtub after a bouncy ball that clearly is a choking hazard).  I don't know Amelia.  Can't you just tell me?
Amelia: (pouts).  Fine.  I'll give you a clue.
Mom: (le sigh) Sure.  Give me a clue.
Amelia: There is something in my nose! (her eyes widen with excitement, my stomach drops with anticipation)
Mom: There is.  Huh!  Well that is exciting news!  Are you ready to get your shoes on?
Amelia: NO!  That wasn't my clue.  The clue is it starts with the letter R and ends with the letter K. (this announcement is made in a very dramatic voice).
Mom: (I quickly run through the list of items one might find in one's nose and cannot find anything matching this description.) Hmmm....that's tricky.  Is it a rake?  Or a Rink?
Amelia: No!!  It isn't!
Mom: Well, good, because I don't think those things should be in your nose anyway.  Let's get ready to go (pull Gemma off the toilet and away from the countertop with the enticingly full roll of toilet paper)
Amelia: Come on mom!  Think of something!  It starts with a "rrrr, rrrr" sound and ends with a "kkk,kkk" sound!  Don't you want to know?
Mom: (I think I don't want to know.) I have no idea, Amelia.  Why don't you just tell me?
Amelia: No.  I don't want to (suddenly she has a very panicked look on her face).
Mom: Is there something really in your nose?
Amelia: Uh huh.
Mom: What is it?
Amelia: I don't know (in that singsonging voice that leaves me unsure as whether to believe her).
Mom: Come on Amelia!  Is there really something in your nose?
Amelia: (looks down) I don't know.
Mom: (sinking feeling) Oh Amelia...
Amelia: (hopefully) Don't you want to know what it is?
Mom: ........sure.
Amelia: Guess!
Mom: I think we are beyond guessing now....
Amelia: It is something from the playground!  It is tiny and brown....
Mom: Wait.  Is this a ROCK?
Amelia: (fist into the air) YES!  You guessed!  Great job mom!!!
Mom: Wait.  This isn't great...
Amelia: What?  Why?

So, the short version of events is that I was horrified to realize Amelia had been trailing behind me and trying to tell me that she pushed a rock from the pea gravel up her nose and couldn't get it out.  I was getting ready to make a call to the dr office when she finally was able to blow it out of her nose on her own.  Then we put on her shoes and I took her happily to preschool.  On the way out of the school, I did ask them to watch her on the playground to make sure more rocks didn't end up where they weren't supposed to be.