The Booger Buffet

I don't think there is anything grosser than a kid with his finger up his nose.. that is however, until he puts whatever treasure he's come away with, into his mouth. Now, having said that.. it's with great disgust and disappointment to report that my 5 year old son has developed this nasty habit. I was horrified the other day when visiting with a friend (we'll call her db) when we both saw him put his little digit up his nose, and then right into his mouth! Both db and I exploded with the total grossness of his actions..ewh!! Realizing the reaction my son had gotten, he did it again.. thinking it was funny. Db, who apparently has quite a weak stomach, started gagging. This made it even funnier for my son, who started picking the other nostril, laughing all the while. He finally stopped, but not until we firmly told him to.
At that point, I think it's done. I hadn't ever seen him do it before so I think I've done my parenting, and nipped this one in the bud. That is until dinner last night, when my husband and I witness him do it again! What the @#!&!! We then get into this big discussion about how rude it is, and that boogers are germs, and if he didn't want to get sick, he had better stop eating his snot!
Then Db came to visit again today, with another friend (we'll call her cd). Something sparked in my sons memory, and again at the kitchen table, during lunch he dove in there for yet another tasty treat! Ugh, this of course was for db's benefit, and what luck to have another set of eyes to witness the horror! Cd was just as horrified, although I believe she has a stronger stomach than db- well, I know she does..someday we can talk about what the initials mean! :)
He only did it once today (I think). I'm just going to have to watch him closely and drill him about the consequences of eating his own snot..you know, germs and disease.. I don't want him to be the kid at the playground that no one wants to be around cause he's eats his boogers! Or the kid that everyone teases.. basically it's just that.. my motherly paranoia about my son getting picked on.. no pun intended! ha!