Why is it that kids always get sick in the middle of the night? They can't throw up when they're awake and aware of their surroundings, they have to do it in their bed, down the hallway, or in some other really inconvenient place. It's like a sick joke the parenting gods play on you. Oh, things have been going pretty well? Let's zap you with a pile of puke at one o'clock in the morning.
That is exactly what happened to us last night. It was just past midnight, way later than we should have been up anyway, and we were about to go to bed. I don't know where Charlie was but I was brushing my teeth. All of a sudden Andy walks into the bathroom, stops, and throws up not once, not twice, but three times on the floor. He continued to throw up two more times but by now I finally had gotten control of my in-shock self and put a trash can in front of him. Not ten minutes before had I taken the trash can off his bed because he was sleeping peacefully and it was extremely close to his face. Should have just left it there.
No problem, you say, because it was in the bathroom. On the tile. Yes, normally that would be the case. Except for some, unknown reason, there was carpet in our bathroom when we moved in and we hadn't quite gotten around to removing it. Oh, it was in the plans. We even have the tile sitting patiently in the garage. We just haven't had the money to get it done. Or the time. Or the money.
Thankfully Charlie took charge and cleaned up the floor. Good thing too, because I almost threw up watching Andy throw up. There are lots of disgusting things the kids do that I can handle no problem, but I've learned lately that throw up is not one of the them. If Charlie wasn't around I could do it because I have to, but I am so glad he was there. He brought a bucket and a large paint scraper (we use all the right tools in our house), and scooped it up and then cleaned the floor.
I was telling this story to my friend, Larisa, today and she said we should have put corn starch on it. Apparently all good cooks, of which I am not, have some in their house because it is used to make sauces thicker. Um, okay. When you put corn starch on vomit, it absorbs the liquid and the smell. If you wait until it dries completely you just vacuum it up and it's like it never happened. Amazing. I wish I would have known that, and, of course, had corn starch in my house, because almost 24 hours later the stench is still there.
This morning it was bad. I could barely take a shower in the bathroom and Sarah refused to stay in there and hang out with Amanda. I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but our bathroom is huge. We often hang out in there with the kids. We have toys in there so they'll stick around while we're getting ready or showering or whatever, and there's plenty of room for all of us. That's one of the reason why Charlie didn't want to rush to pull up the carpet and put in tile, because the baby plays in there. I don't think he'll stall much longer.
The smell has dissipated a little bit. I've cleaned it again with some great stuff that the professional carpet cleaner gave me the last time he came and I've Febreezed it like crazy, but it continues to smell. If it still smells by the time we get back from San Diego I'm definitely calling the pros. Then we're going to have to find a way to get that room tiled sooner than later. After that the kids can puke on it as often as they like. Well, as long as Charlie is around to clean it up.
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