Saturday Night Pukies

Every night the kids beg and negotiate to sleep in my room.

As much as I love them close to me,

I know it's a bad habit to start.

So each night I negotiate in return and they end up in their beds.

Well actually they end up in Anden's bunk bed.

They know my exception is if they are sick

they can come down with me.

So usually a random sickness plagues them right at bedtime.

"Mommy, I sneezed earlier today so that means I'm sick and can stay in your bed"

"Oh ya, well I have a hangnail so I'm sick and can stay in Mommy's bed too"

Anden really did have a little runny nose/cough/sore tummy on Saturday.

Yet it was Taylee that was relentless that she was sick and needed to sleep with me.

I lovingly held my ground against the persuasive miniature negotiators

 and they both ended up upstairs.

I was beyond wiped out from our busy Saturday and crashed at 9pm.

At 10:30pm I wake up to Taylee running into my room sobbing

that she threw up everywhere.

I lept out of bed in a daze and grabbed her.

As a parent, this is one of my worst scenarios.

First, it breaks my heart to see little ones sick at night.

Second, it breaks my tummy/nose to have to clean up the mess. 

Oddly there was nothing on her clothes.

So I situated her by my toilet and told her I was running upstairs

to inspect the damage and start the cleaning process.

As I tiptoed into Anden's room,

where he was peacefully snoozing away on the top bunk with no idea what happened,

I realize why nothing was on Taylee.

It was everywhere else!

Thus the process of ripping off the bedding, rinsing the mess, starting loads of laundry

cleaning the carpets, disinfecting everything in sight.

I didn't realize Taylee had followed me back upstairs and was quietly

watching me rip off the sheets all while tears were rolling down her cheeks.

"Sorry I made a mess Mommy."

My heart melted.

I dropped everything and quickly picked her up and hugged her tightly.

"Baby it's not your fault."

That cute sweet little girl has my heart wrapped around her finger.

Then the next rounds of throw up came.

So there we sat on the floor by the toilet together.

When she would feel a little better she would give me permission to 

leave her to keep cleaning.

Then I would be rubbing her back and giving her water to swish

after the next dreadful round.

I am such a softy when it comes to my kids.

I hate seeing them in pain or sick

knowing there's nothing I can really do.

I tried my hardest to hold back my tears the entire time.

Eventually we made our way downstairs.

We were both all cleaned up and with the barf bucket in tow

(yes that's what my mom called it growing up lol. tupperware bowl with paper towel inside)

I carried her into my room and she whimpered

"Mommy I told you I was sick".

Gosh I felt so bad.

Then she was so concerned that she might make a mess in my bed.

I told her it's ok if you do.

She decided she wanted to sit by my toilet for awhile just to be safe.

So there on the bathroom tile floor we sat for the next 30 mins.

She had multiple more rounds of puking.

I just held her, rubbed her back and stroked her hair.

She would sweetly tell me each time,

"Mommy I'm ok you can go lay in bed."

I assured her I would stay right here with her as long as necessary.

We were both quiet for a couple minutes dozing back to sleep
 and she turns her head to me and sincerely and quietly asks with those huge sad eyes,

"Mommy does this mean I have cancer now?"

My jaw dropped, my heart sank and tears poured down my face.

I hugged her so tight and explained to her that 

no no no absolutely this doesn't mean you have cancer.

She trustingly looked back up at me

"Well you said cancer was a yucky sickness and this sure is yucky!"

This little kid truly listens to every word I ever tell her.

So we discussed the topic more and I calmed her fears as I held her.

I will forever cherish the moments I have these little heart to hearts with my children.

Regardless when and where.

At that moment,

there was no where else I would rather have been then sitting on 

the cold tile bathroom floor hugging a toilet with my precious daughter.

As odd as it may seem,

I took a phone picture after the pukies were all gone and she was ok.

I wanted to be able to always remember this unique bonding experience.