Remembering Noddy24, Always

Eva--

You're a woman who has a graceful way with words.

Noddy has been a part of my life since some time on Abuzz...I don't know quite when.

Snot-catching

My 8 1/2 month old daughter has a pretty bad cold. We've been keeping in touch with the
doctor, and doing all of the appropriate things. One is using an aspirator to clear her
nasal passages.

Thing is, she HATES this. PASSIONATELY. She has taken to bursting into tears as soon as
she sees the dreaded snot-catcher. (And this is a remarkably mellow baby.)

Does anyone have any tips on how to make this experience a little less traumatic?

Thanks.

She's old enough to reason with, but obviously this isn't
working. Have you tried bribery? Flowers? Sachet? Perfume?
Special stories?

Good luck.

8 1/2 months old is old enough to reason with? She IS smart,
but...

sozobe--

She'll forgive you on her wedding day, I promise.

Hee hee hee hee...

Actually, she seems to forgive me within 10 minutes or so, but
you're quite right, the underlying theme here is "am I scarring
my poor sweetie for life??!"

sozobe--

In thirteen years and thirteen days she will look at you and
say/sign "MAHther! Starting when I was 8 1/2 months old, you
began to RUIN MY LIFE ON PURPOSE."

Sozobe--

You showed great restraint--of course you believe that violence
is wrong and public scenes are wrong and that parents should
control their own children. Still, you showed great restraint.

The next time you encounter a child who is being encouraged to
purging self expression announce, "BAD BOY. GOOD BOYS DO NOT HIT
BABIES!" If the marauder and his mother are known to you,
announce this softly. If the creep and his fatuous mother are
strangers, project from the diaphragm, as though you are reading
from the Ten Commandments, hot off the chisel, to all the
Children of Israel.

Sozobe, for the next few years, you are not a cultured woman of
understanding and refinement. You are right up there with Mother
Bear and Mother Tiger and Mother Timber Wolf.

You will not be able to civilize these homicidal little
strangers, but you may make their mothers act in order to avoid
future embarassment.

Unfortunately, you are saturated with make-nice hormones so your
daughter will survive. This afternoon, you thought that Claws
was human.

Next time, remember the female mammals of the world are assembled
behind you. Don't touch the kid--just verbalize great hostility.

How is your daughters eye? Her morale? Her mommie?

Hold your dominion.

A world without the strength and dignity that Noddy radiated is a world that seems so very much more fragile to me and is a world that I've had a hard time coming to terms with.

Her poise was contagious, and I miss it so.