Thursday, March 17, 2011

Calgon Take Me Away!

Last night after the kids went to bed just as I was settling in with a cup of chamomile tea the littlest one appeared in the door looking very pitiful.

“I threw up.” He said at about the same time the smell hit me.

David told me to stay put and enjoy my tea then he scooped up the kiddo and walked away. Aren’t I the luckiest woman in the world? He voluntarily took care of a sick, barfy kid AND all the mess, and let me tell you there was some mess. Poor baby got all tangled up in the mosquito netting and couldn’t get out of bed in time so it was all over the blankets, the pillows, the stuffed animals, the mosquito netting, the floor, and himself. ICKY! I ended up cuddling the littlest one while Dave mopped the floor, changed the sheets, took down the mosquito netting, and tried to get the smell to dissipate. I think I got the better deal.

By two in the morning I was feeling a lot less lucky. David had to work today so he slept while I stayed up with Grayson. Poor baby just kept moaning, “My tummy hurts, my tummy hurts!” I hate when my babies are sick. I feel so helpless, I want a magic wand to make it all better. It’s even worse when they are sick in the middle of the night.

This morning I am not loving life. I didn’t get much sleep. I still have to clean, cook, do laundry, and homeschool the oldest. I have a tired, sick, grumpy kid on the sofa who would rather be at school. It’s international day so lots of fun is being missed, but I kept him home anyway. David is on a road trip with our only vehicle so I am stranded for the day. I am out of saltines, Gatorade, and applesauce, the only part of the BRAT diet I have available is the bananas. I guess it is time for an Amazon order, I can’t buy those things locally anyway.

The rat that chewed it’s way into the house last week, discovered the fruit bowl last night and sampled all of the apples looking for the tastiest one. I HATE RATS! And seriously he couldn’t just picked one apple instead of ruining the whole bowl? I guess the fruit bowl goes in the fridge from now on. The GSO dropped off rat traps but has made no move to fix the hole. I think it is time for a trip down to Area 2 to find some stuff to block the hole before the rat invites his friends and cousins by the dozen.

This morning there was a giant roach upside down in the kid’s bathroom sink. I thought it was dead until I tried to scoop it up to throw it away. Then it suddenly came to life. Lazarus roaches??? God help me!

So here I sit playing on the computer trying to mentally escape my reality. For me that means I am looking at house plans, kitchen ideas, over the top bathrooms, and mentally designing my perfect house with bright open rooms, clean lines, lots of color, and an interior designed by Candice Olson from Devine Design. And most importantly NO RATS OR ROACHES.

So how do you take a mental vacation when life gets to be a bit too much?

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

If you have some, wadded up tin foil (or steel wool) deters mice from using holes... I don't know if it works on rats, or how big the hole is, but it did work on my mice.

good luck

Nomads By Nature said...

Barf and bug nets do NOT go well together. Been there once and totally feel for you and your hubs. Hope the little guy is feeling better soon and that you all avoid what he is experiencing.

Shannon said...

@Adventuresin Thanks for the tip. I will try the tinfoil. Hopefully that will be at least a temporary fix!..

@Nomads by Nature he was feeling much better this morning. He watched a movie and is now catching up on the sleep he missed last might.

Kristen said...

Ohhh, that does not sound fun. Hi, I'm Kristen by the way :) I've been reading your blog for awhile, but I'm not sure I've ever commented so I wanted to say hi. I'm glad to hear that your little one is feeling a bit better today! Here's hoping it was a quick bug! And on a side note, I love love love "The Not So Big House" books and author! I figure, one can dream right... there's always retirement :)

Daniela Swider said...

Oh I feel for you. Having a sick kid is no fun. Put lack of sleep on top of that and you have a rather miserable mommy. Hope it's over by now.

I like Kristen also love The Not So Big House books. I love looking through them for inspiration...

Just US said...

Poor you!! Most definitely take a mental vacation!!! In fact, I might just join you at the moment. I go in the bathroom and shut the door. Of course, it works better when the shower is running and the children are in bed but I will take what I can get most days! :)

Hope everyone starts feeling better soon!

Jersey Beth said...

My mental vacation spot is here:
homeaway.com
I love Ennis, Montana.
(having never been to anywhere between Va. & Ca.)

Glad little one is better.
Beth

Sara said...

My mental vacation a few weeks ago was in another world with vampires and werewolves and a young, pale girl in between...yes I like the Twilight series. I can get lost there, and I really like it.

Becky said...

So glad your little guy is doing better. The rat thing stinks. I hope the tinfoil works.

My escape is to look at pics of my condo, especially of the nearby lake that we can walk around without getting shot. It's a small place but it's ours. I like to think about what we'll do to it over home leave and things.

Before we owned a place, I used to look at house listings. I love moving and exploring but when things get tough, a picket fence sounds pretty good.

Becky said...

And your husband is awesome.

Connie said...

oh my! What a night .. and day! Hope your little guy is 100% better now.
You need a cat, or three. :p (yea.. I know that's not a reason to adopt a pet!)
I have heard of using tinfoil or sos pads to deter rats too. Fingers crossed that works.
I was curious about scents as repellents, because I've heard that it's just the smell of a cat or dog that keeps rodents away, and found this: "There are odors that rats avoid. They will not keep rats away forever, but you can use these odors to deter the rats while you seal up points of entrance. Fox and bobcat urine are common deterrents. You can also use litter from your cat box. A more pleasant smell to use to annoy any incoming rat is the smell of peppermint, spearmint and citronella. You can buy repellent that uses these odors or you can use the essential oils of these plants, or you can even plant peppermint, spearmint and citronella around your home, outer buildings and garden." Another website suggested ammonia. Good luck!

Caitlin said...

Rats AND roaches...ugh! Hope your weekend is more relaxing and the illness abates, too!

eve said...

I'd be happy to put together a care package with saltines, Gatorade, and a big wad of dog hair. Maybe that would help. Now that our movers have come and gone I've got plenty of free time until next Monday. Hope things start looking up.

Sadie said...

You guys sound like you've had a rough week! I rate mental vacations very highly; mine usually involve planning future trips. Hope you're all feeling better!