What Goes Up Must Come Down

Afternoon pick up yesterday at Alex's school was interesting to say the least. Alex, my rule follower, decided that was the day that he would test his boundaries at school. Let's just say that little test didn't end so well and he got into trouble. Nothing horrific but just enough to make him flip a card. The second card he's had to flip in the past two weeks. The card he promised me he wouldn't get again.

So there we were driving in the car and I'm laying into Alex for his behavior at school when the screaming started. It wasn't a whimper or a little screech just to get your attention. It was a blood curdling scream and it was coming from the seat directly behind me. From that point on the conversation went something like this:

Me- "What is going on back there, what's with all the screaming?"

Max- "It hurts, it really hurts!"

Me- "What hurts?"

Max- "My nose."

Me- "Your nose hurts, why does your nose hurt?"

Max- "It really, really hurts!"

That's when the light went off in my head. That's when I remembered Max sitting on the ground at Alex's school gently rolling a little bead between his fingers. What appeared to be a seemingly harmless bead at the time was now causing my heart to skip a beat or two. After a few moments of instant replay the conversation began again.

Me-"Max, did you put something up your nose?"

Max- "Yes!"

Me- "Max, did you shove that little bead up your nose?"

Max- "Yes."

I tell him whatever you do, don't touch your nose. I'm thinking to myself I have got to find a place to pull over quick before he shoves this thing up any farther. Just as I'm about to pull over I hear a sigh of relief and Max's sweet little voice say "Ah, it's o.k. now mommy. I sniffed it out". Thankfully we avoided another trip to the emergency room and Max has had his bead priviledges rescinded indefinitely.