Pukey Day

(Warning - this post is not for weak stomachs...)

So today is a real challenge for me as a mom. I have a pukey kid at home. For those of you who have known me for awhile, you know that I when other people throw up or say they are going to. I can remember several times in elementary school when my friends threw up. One was when we were in line for the water fountain outside the lunchroom and this girl, Shelly, just threw up right there. Then the janitors came and put the miracle sawdust stuff on top of it as if it would make it disappear. Another time my brother and I were outside the movie theater waiting to be picked up and this kid, who I didn't know, projectile-vomited right there in front of me. I'm pretty sure those two events changed my life forever when it comes to throw-up (I don't like to use the word vomit).

It has had an impact in my life, needless to say. I always wanted to be a teacher when I was younger, well up until high school probably. I had school supplies and teacher textbooks and a chalk board and everything so I could pretend at home. Sometime in my sophomore or junior year in high school I realized that I couldn't be a teacher and I'd have to pick a new career. I knew that I just could not handle going to work everyday in fear of someone puking in my class. So, banker I became.

Luckily, my fear didn't stop me from becoming a mother. That was something I have always wanted badly. I figured I would be able to handle it if it were coming from my own children. So far, I've been blessed with healthy children who don't seem to throw up often. Kyle really didn't throw up until he was 3 years old. By that time, he knew what it felt like before it happened and would make it to the toilet or a trash can. It's tolerable, at least.

Well, today he's sick. Last night he said his back and belly hurt. This morning he said the same thing and he just wanted to lay down. He said he might throw up. Great. He ended up (slowly) eating 1 waffle for breakfast, but it came back up about an hour later. Then he seemed perky again. He ate a little lunch, but it upset his stomach in other ways, if you catch my drift. He didn't quite make it to the toilet in time - clean up #1. 30 minutes later, clean up #2.

I can tell this day is going to be a challenging day for me. I hope I make it through without getting sick, too. Who will clean up my messes? :)

Rescued!

After about 6 days in the top of our tree, the little kitty was rescued by her owner yesterday. He bravely climbed most of the way up the tall, skinny tree and endured some brisk gusts of wind to save her. He had already rescued her once off the street a couple of months ago, so I guess she has 7 lives left.

We have a cat...

...in our tree. That is the closest we will ever get to having one, too. This poor thing has been up in one of our really tall trees since at least last Thursday. Who knows what made it go all the way up there, but nothing will make it climb back down. I will try to take a picture of it, but I'm not sure my camera will be able to zoom in on it. It must belong to one of our neighbors, but nobody has come to get it. So, every day, several times a day, we look for it and try to get it to move. I am not a cat person, nor will I turn into one, but I feel so sad for this poor kitty! I can barely make it 5 hours, much less 5 days without eating, so I can't imagine what this poor thing feels like.