Gag Gift?

Arden received a gag gift from Jack the other day.  He rubbed his snot on her arm, and she FREAKED.  I wish I could portray through my writing how funny this is in the Hargrave family.  It's not necessarily funny because we love gross humor (which we do by the way).  No we think it's funny because Arden has a SUPER weak stomach and her reactions are comical and classic.  She came to me screeching and with watery eyes to tell me about it.  The reason her eyes were watery was because she had been gagging all the way to the kitchen.  Even as she is trying to explain the mucous on her arm she is near puking.  I can't help but laugh because she is soooo sensitive to hmmmmm...shall I say bodily excretions.

 Being a mom of three and a hospital worker, I am desensitized.  I've been pooped on, peed on, drooled on, snotted on, bled on, thrown up on, and even pussed on.... all by patients.  Never would've thought the ultrasound business was so messy, huh?  (and I've got many funny hospital stories, but I'll share those on another day.)  Arden, on the other hand is hypersensitive to funky sights and smells.  We first realized this right around the time Jack was born.  I asked her to go throw away a foul-odored dirty diaper for me.  She returned to me with a sour look on her face after she did the task.  She explained to me in her own words that she gagged: "I burped in my mouth.  That's scussting (disgusting)."

 It's been downhill for Arden since then.  Now anytime she passes Jack's room while he's getting a diaper change, if she sees the sight of poo, or smells something rancid, the dry-heaving begins.  Sometimes she'll get queasy even if you mention poop.  Because her reactions are so dramatic, we loving family members get a kick out of grossing Arden out.  We chalk it up as paybacks since she can be such a pill. 

 I've always thought of the gag reflex as a dramatization...sort of a theatrical gesture made by people to illustrate the unpleasant.  But with Arden it's such an inherent and involuntary response.  It's sooo funny to watch her get squeamish.  I give you permission to try to gross her out the next time you see her so you can see for yourself.  Ha!