the beauty of gagging

6 weeks

An amazing thing happens today. I gag.

Most people wouldn't get so excited about gagging. But me, I am very excited. In my last pregnancy, the idea of morning sickness terrifies me. I hate feeling nauseous. Who doesn't? But this time around, I welcome any signs of healthy pregnancy with open arms, and I literally want to jump for joy with the thought of it.

First graders can be gross. They pick their noses and stick their hands in their pants. They have sticky fingers, bad gas and drippy colds. Sometimes they even puke. But in my ten years of teaching, today is my first real gag.

So yesterday, Lily spills her yogurt on the table during snack time. I give her some wet wipes and paper towels and she cleans it up. Or so I think. Today another little girls tells me she doesn't think Lily got it all. She brings me the plastic crayon bin from the table and the smell hits me first. The crayons are swimming in a lumpy, gooey, day-old puddle of white yogurt.

GAG!!!! The reflex is so fast and furious, I think I scare the little girl. I immediately scan the classroom for the trash can. I am sick! I tell her to dump everything out. Crayons, scissors, pencils, erasers -- everything covered in the smelly white goo. I can't even look. Luckily she is a saint and scrubs the whole bin with soap until all traces of yogurt are gone.

But the nausea is still there. I am so delighted over my new-found pukiness, I decide to reward every table with new fresh crayons.

Call me crazy but I hope I gag again tomorrow.