The Daddy Diary
Musings on Babies, Bulldogs, and Beer
The Snotties
Early on, I could tell that Audrey had many of my traits. The eye color and long eyelashes gave it away. And then when we realized that she was left-handed, I knew she was mine. When that became apparent, I hoped and prayed that she wouldn’t get one of my traits – the snotties.
I have struggled with allergies my entire life. If I could monetize mucus production, I could generate enough revenue to rival any OPEC nation. I have tried all the pills, home remedies, injections, and used all the Neti Pots. The only thing I haven’t tried is injecting the Neti Pots. Despite those efforts, I still buy Kleenex like someone buying toilet paper during a pandemic. I have to get the forklift guy at Costco to wheel a pallet of Kleenex to the checkout lane every month.
Many years ago, I went to an allergist to get tested. I found out that I was allergic to trees and grass. Trees and grass. Basically, I’m allergic to “outside.” It’s a little difficult to remove trees and grass from my existence. If I want to avoid my mucus-filled existence, I will either have to move to the Sahara Desert or go live in a boathouse somewhere. As bad as my allergies are, I might have to double down and live in a boathouse in the Sahara Desert.
Unfortunately, I gave my allergies to Audrey. So, it breaks my heart every time I feel an allergy attack coming on because I know Audrey is going to have one, too. And it’s worse for her because she has no idea what to do about it.
When you have difficulty communicating, the most basic things become frustrating. I can’t get her to understand how to blow her nose. It pains me to see the mucus running down her face because she doesn’t know how to ask for a Kleenex, and I can’t explain to her what to do with it anyway. Even if I could remember the sign for allergies, how could she possibly understand what that means?
I still don’t understand what is going on inside that little brain, but I desperately want to know.
Maybe I should take solace in the fact that her allergies don’t seem to bother her. Like everything else she deals with, she just smiles and giggles through it all. So, maybe I should be more like Audrey. Next time I have an allergy attack, instead of complaining, I will just have a Kleenex and a smile.
One Comment on “The Snotties”
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The Daddy Diary 
Audrey is so smart she will figure it out soon. I remember kids in school who never seemed to realize it was all over their face. As long as she is happy you have won the lottery plus all the love that comes with her.
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