<h1 class="entry-title"><font size="5">The "Tell Me This Happens to Everyone" Bead Debacle of 2012.</font></h1>

Before we left for Mexico, I bought a package of kid's beads (from Lazarus House). You know the colourful, oversized ones that have holes big enough to dig to China thread onto shoelaces. At the time, I thought that the kids would be too young for them (they’d just turned two) but was I ever surprised. In Mexico, they played with and asked for them every.single.day.

When we got back from Mexico and they asked for them again (I'd purposely left the set in Mexico as I don't like to bring stuff back), I came up with a quick and temporary alternative to keep them happy (I raided my button stash, yes, I have a lot of "stashes").

Was I ever pleased the following week to find another few sets at Lazarus House (as the buttons weren't as popular as the beads). So, we resumed our daily ritual of throwing the beads everywhere sorting them into different colours, shapes and sizes and doing some stringing too. I love that there are so many ways to play with beads (toys) if you just think outside of the box. In addition, they can generally keep their attention for close to 30 minutes.

One day, while I was creating a blog post alone with the kids (Ed was in Ottawa on business), Artemis tapped me on the arm and said "beads in nose". I shrugged her off reminded her that we don't "put beads in our nose" and went back to my "work". A few seconds later, she tapped me on the arm again (she hadn’t moved) and told me the same thing "beads in nose". I took a second to process what she was saying and realized that she had in fact put beads up her nose. I immediately had visions of a hospital visit, however, I calmly stated "oh, I see that you have put beads up each nostril, well, we'll just have to get those out".

I won't let you in on my secret method but I managed to remove them (without pushing them in further, thankfully). Afterwards, Artemis just went on her merry way oblivious to the crisis averted while leaving me shaking in a puddle of shock.

Needless to say, I removed the really small ones (they weren't in the original pack that we took to Mexico) and all has been fine since.

P.S. Yes, I'm a fan of the word "Debacle".

  Besos, The Zoo