Time: 10 am Saturday

Place: 6 year old’s Soccer Game.

She’s running . . . running . . . running. Slower as every minute passes.

Her arms are hanging at her side. Her hands, balled up like fists. The run has fizzled into a slow trot. She’s lugging her feet, like she’s wearing lead socks.

Something’s wrong.

The ref blows the whistle, and Bella drags over to the sideline.

Warwick grabs her, sits her down, hands her the water bottle, and gently rubs her back.

“Hey Bella, what’s going on out there? You need to try and stay in front of the ball. Okay? Here, drink some water. Are you feeling alright?”

She nods her head, breathless. “Yeah, I’m okay. I’m just tired, and my head hurts.”

“Oh, it’s probably just the running and the fact that you’re tired. Now that you’ve rested and had some water, I’m sure you’ll feel better.” I say.

With the look of a weathered athlete, she takes one last deep breath, nods her head in approval, hops up and jogs back out to centerfield.

The team is gathered in the middle of the field circled around the coach as he gives them a few last pointers before the end of the half. As she’s listening, I notice Bella raise her hands to her temples and press them hard, trying to ease the pain of her headache.

I manically start rummaging through my purse. I seem to remember putting a bottle of ibuprofen in there last month. I fumble with the top, pull out a pill, shove it into Warwick’s hand, and push him onto the field while yelling, “Hurry, hurry! Go give it to her before the second half starts. Tell her that it’s for her headache! Tell her it will make her feel better!”

He meets Bella at center field, hands her the pill, and then the water bottle, and the two separate. Bella goes back to her game, and Warwick comes back to me.

“Did you tell her it’ll make her head feel better?” I press him.

“No.”

“Did you at least tell her it was for her headache?”

No.” he says again.

Great. 90% of feeling better is knowing that you will feel better. I should have just done it myself.

The second half of the game continues, with Bella and her lack luster performance.

The whistle blows again, Warwick runs over to Bella to give her some water, and I hear. . . .

“You didn’t swallow the pill? It’s still in your mouth? Uuuggghhhh.”

So for the remaining 30 seconds we have left of the time out, Warwick, Bella and I try to coax that durn pill down her throat.

We try massive amounts of water. We try rubbing her throat while sending down trickles of water. We even managed to find a lollipop and stick the pill to the end of, trying to somehow get her to suck it down her throat. No dice.

The whistle blows.

“Oh crap. She’s gotta go. Okay, fine then Belly, just. . . . . .chew it.” I stammer, hardly able to say the words, not really believing she’d actually be able to do it.

“Okay.” And with that, the deed was done.

That kid. That fabulous, strong willed, dynamite kid ran back on the field a champion in my book. I don’t care if she never makes another soccer goal in her entire life, because that doesn’t make her a winner. What makes her a winner is that, when her dad gave her a pill she couldn’t swallow, she kept at it. She didn’t spit it out. She sucked on it. Then when it wouldn’t dissolve, 20 minutes later. . . .uuuggghhh. . . she chewed that sucker up, no flinching or gagging, and took that bitter pill like it was candy.

Bravo Bella. Bravo. You’ll always be a champion in my book.

It should be noted that precisely 5 minutes after she chewed on that pill, she felt better.
It should also be noted that the game ended 30 seconds after that.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – — –

Ever had a pill stuck in your mouth, that you just couldn’t get down your throat?

Tastes kind of like ear wax.

How do I know what ear wax tastes like?

By digging in my ears of course, and then accidentally putting my finger in mouth. Sorry. Too much information. Whatever. You know you’ve done it too.

Gross. But that’s the point.

It’s October.  All nuttiness leads to Halloween.  And grossness.

But these little ditties just look gross, but are actually quite Yum!

They’ll have kid’s and adults squealing in delight.

Used Q-tip Kabobs
Ingredients:

Jicama, peeled and cut up into strips (you could also use a very large apple and dip into lemon juice to prevent browning)
Mini Marshmallows
Peanut Butter

Directions:

1.  Pierce the end of your marshmallows with a knife.
2.  Skewer a marshmallow on each end of the Jicama stick.
3. Dip the marshmallow ends into peanut butter.