Not On The Carpet!

Everybody has one of "those moments" that they become "famous" for...even if that fame is contained to family and friends. As you grow up these moments can stick or new ones may take their place. My new "moment" occured Friday. I can just hope it doesn't stick.

Friday evening, my mother had everybody (all five of her sisters and their spouses, all of my cousins and their families, my siblings and their families, my sister-in-law's parents, and my grandmother) over for a family celebration. Normally, it would have been a Christmas party, but with an aunt receiving the wonderful news that she did NOT have breast cancer as orginally thought and a cousin who just finish basic training and is expecting to get shipped to Iraq by summer...mom called it a "Family Celebration." Whatever you called it, it was so nice. For once...there was no arguing and everyone was there.

Anyway, my cousin R.D. was there with his little girl A. who is 2. A. is the most adorable little girl. She is VERY loving. Anyway, A., along with all of the other little ones, was dancing in the living room to some music that my mom had playing. Well, her grandma had given her some food that she was eating while she danced. All of a sudden, A. fell down to the floor and grabbed her chest. We all stopped and asked her if she was ok. She didn't answer but she got up and seemed ok (she doesn't talk much). Everyone else went back to their conversations, but I was sitting off by myself (it was the only chair available) watching the kids. I noticed that A. kept tapping her chest, so I called her over. She climbed up on my lap. I looked at her and something didn't seem right. So I said, "A.! Say, "Daddy!" Say, "Daddy!" My aunt, A.'s grandma came over. I told her that I didn't think A. was breathing right, but I didn't know if it was that she just wouldn't speak to me...being as shy as she is. My aunt grabbed her, yelled for my brother who is a paramedic, flipped A. over and started whacking on A.'s back. I stepped to the side. When I realized (my first "Duh!" moment) what was going to happen if she spit the food up, I apparently started to channel my mother (granted the woman is not dead and was in the other room...so maybe it was just my "Barb" moment). I looked at my aunt who was still whacking on A.'s back and said (are you ready...this is my "moment"), "get her off the carpet!" With that, I ran to the entry way which is tiled (and easier to clean), rolled back the rug and gestured to my aunt to bring A. Thankfully, I was the only idiot Friday and everyone ignored me. Moments later, A. was breathing fine (I'm not sure if anything ever came up or what happened)...there was no mess (at least a big one) to clean up...and it started to register with everyone what I had done.

My mom was horrified that I would be seemingly more concerned with the carpet than my little cousin, but in my defense...I am my mother's daughter. It wasn't that I wasn't concerned about A., but I also knew how my mom handles any kind of mess on her carpet and the entry way was only 3 steps away from where we were.

So...that was my moment. I'm hoping it won't "stick." I'd hate to be reminded every year about the time I was willing to sacrifice my little cousin for a clean carpet. I may have to make a deal with my mom not to ever again repeat the story of how she "fed" my brother on his 1st birthday a plastic clown head (from his cake) on a spike (she had given it to him so he could lick of the frosting and he stuck it in his mouth spike first...which she quickly removed from his mouth).

Hope your holidays are safe and "moment" free.

Until later...