Snort....Snark.....Snork....

I don't know what to call what happened at our breakfast table this morning.

Brynn burped at the table, and Rich commented that she needed to be more discrete about her burps. He demonstrated that she should put her hand over her mouth, burp and then say "excuse me".

Then I had to take it a bit to far and show her how to do it "differently". I pretended to burp and added a pretend gag to the scenario.

We all laughed.

Then Rich did it again. But he went full force. He even produced a pretty accurate gag sound while covering his mouth, then politely said "Excuse me". I couldn't help myself and actually gagged a little myself....but not as a joke...it was for real. (I have a strong gag reflex, and have been known to puke sympathetically...hence why a vomiting kid is my worst nightmare! - When one of my kids puke, I usually dry heave with the best of them, as I clean it up. Dry heave so much that my nose runs, and my eyes tear up - no scratch that - and I cry.)

Rich laughed at me this morning at the breakfast table. I guess it is pretty funny- to others - that my gag reflex is so strong. I don't really think so, but oh well.

Anyways, back to the table. A few moments passed, and right as I took a huge gulp of coffee to wash down my toast, Rich can't hold back his laughter that his fake gag had caused my real one.

And then it happened. I laughed. Laughed right as I drank my coffee. Laughed and actually inhaled my coffee...

Of course I choked! Choked hard. Choked so hard that even though I slapped my hand over my mouth my coffee came spraying out. Spraying out all over the table, my robe, my kids, the flowers on the center of the table, my breakfast plate, etc. I coughed, and coughed and gasped and coughed some more. I looked up through my coffee splattered eyes at Rich. He had his hand over his face and was laughing - no vibrating with laughter - over my "situation". I looked at Maeve and she was staring at me like I was an alien. I looked at Cannon and he was trying to make sense of the whole situation.

And then I looked at Brynn. Apparently she has inherited more than my good looks, amazing sense of humor and crazy never-can-have-normal-bangs-cowlick. She has also inherited my gag reflex. She had turned her back to the table, and her eyes were filled with tears. They were tears resulting from her gags. As I watched her, between my coughing fits, she continued to gag.....Oh gosh.

I quickly had to find my voice, and assure her that I had not thrown up. It was merely that I had been laughing and coughing and spit my coffee out. It took about 1 minute for her to stop convulsing....sad.

Needless to say, it took a load of laundry, 3 dishtowels, and a shower to clean up my mess. 4 hours later, I am still tasting the coffee that I inadvertently coughed out my nose.....
Nice...