Nervous Laughter

Nervous laughter.
I have been plagued with it all my life.  It dates as far back as I can remember.  I mean, really, I don't think I've ever made it through a funeral without a major case of the giggles and that includes my own father's when I was just 12 years old.  As a matter of fact, if memory serves correctly my mother and I both had a mean case of the nervous giggles during his services.  It was rough, but I guess laughing relieved some of the pressure.  Kinda like when some people have to have a hole drilled in their head to relieve the pressure of brain swelling, that's what laughing at a funeral is like for me.  It's not ideal, but hey, it's my own defense mechanism, OK?

And things were no different yesterday when I had to take the 4 y/o for his yearly check up.  I knew that he was going to need four shots to the arm and I was mentally prepared for it.  What I wasn't prepared for was my brain signaling the funeral patrol on me. 

There I was with the nurse holding my kid down for the shots and BANG!  the first shot goes in the left arm and my boy wails in pain.  I start wailing too- but with laughter.  OHMIGOD.  Hold it together, ANN!  This is so not cool.  The second shot goes in and I am losing it.  We both are.  I'm leaning over my boy and trying desperately to hide my face behind his head.   Third shot goes in the right arm and he is now screaming at the top of his voice, "NOOOOOOO!  DON'T DO IT!  I DON'T WANT ANOTHER ONE!!!!"  This automatically sends me into giggle fit. We are both shedding tears now, but mine are nervous, front row at the funeral kinda tears- complete with dopey  smile on my face. I'm trying to pull myself together.  But I can't.  I can't contain myself.  I am officially in hysterics.
  
The final shot goes in and I immediately go into recovery mode.  I squeeze him to me in an attempt to shield my face.  Maria (the nurse) is just staring at us.  He is still crying.  I am still smirking.  Maria is still staring.  Then she finally says, "you know, it's OK.  I get so many different parents in here, I've seen it all.  The parents who cry, the parents who laugh, the parents that have to stand outside the door cause they can't watch.  It's OK."  Thanks, Maria, that made me feel better.  Now keep the judgement at bay a little longer as I dangle some Yummy Cupcakes in front of my boy's face to speed up the process.