The Other Eye

Sean has been fighting a cold lately. Well, actually the whole family has some kind of runny nose and cough thing going on. I say we are 'fighting' a cold because none of us are really sick - no fever or chills or aches. Just a stuffy nose and an annoying cough most likely caused by post nasal drip. You know the polite way of saying we have tons of snot dripping down the back of our throats. Yum!

Anyway, he has woken up the past few mornings with what we call eye boogers. You can say eye crust or goop, but it is all the same thing. He doesn't have pink eye - no tearing or redness - just a little gunk when he wakes up. The first morning he literally couldn't get one of his eyes open and Brian had to hold a warm washcloth over his eye. You might have thought we were sticking a hot iron into his eye. First the washcloth was too hot, then too cold, then too scratchy!

The next morning was a little better and by the third morning there was just a little bit of stuff in the corner of his left eye. Brian Sr. took his finger and got it out. You might have thought we were injecting Sean with poison. He screamed and screamed. And for effect screamed some more.

Then he looked at Brian Sr. with his best mean face and yelled, "Dad you took a piece of my nose off!" Of course this was my chance to be the 'good' parent. You know, when your kids are mad at the other parent and you step in to rescue them to be the favorite, I mean unselfishly and without ulterior motive help to make them feel better.

I went over to him, put my arms around him, and said in a sweet voice, "Let me see honey. Where did Daddy take off a piece of your nose?" He points to a spot next to his right eye and in his saddest voice says, "Right here." Brian Sr. immediately starts laughing but composes himself long enough to say, "It was your other eye Sean!" Sean quickly recovers and says, "Dad I was going to say right here, on my other eye!" Ooooh this kid is quick and smart! We are in so much trouble!