The perfect vacation souvenir...

My family likes to travel. We like to experience new places and their history. We like to take big city public transportation and explore.

We got back from Melbourne Beach, Florida yesterday afternoon. Mother Nature, in keeping with tradition that has been consistent throughout this winter, did not cooperate. For a planned two day getaway to the beach, we got a total of 4 hours on the actual shore, shivering most of the time.

But friends, the best was saved for last. Last night, Matthew threw up. From his top bunk. And blessedly, did not hit any sheets or siblings.

This morning, we woke up to find another dried up pile of vomit. From Andrew. Who also did not hit any sheets or siblings. But failed to alert us of the cleanup needed in children's bedroom.

As usual, we brought home the usual vacation souvenir for our family. The infamous traveling bug. It began a couple of years ago when we visited family in Memphis over Christmas. It took over a month for it to completely disappear from these parts. We still shudder at the thought of what those weeks held for us: doctor's appointments, lab work, endless, sleepless nights, diaper rash from hell, nightly vomit cleanups...not fun. So far, we have yet to plan any other Winter Break trip.

Plans for the Youth Fair were scrapped. We went to the pediatrician, as Matthew and Joshua have had a nagging cough, just to check it out. Because the boys looked better than they did when they woke up, I urged John to go to the barber shop for pre-Easter haircuts after the doctor's visit.

This particular barber shop is family owned. The barber and his mother are exceptionally nice people and the clientele is typical Florida retiree.

The last time we visited the barber shop, all four guys were going to get their hair trimmed. The older two boys are pros at sitting still in the chair. Joshua, not so much. We usually visit the kid's hair salon, which caters to two year old and delivers the toddler equivalent of crack: Dora the Explorer. When Joshua gets his hair cut there, no problem.

Last visit to the barber: BIG problem. Joshua went after one of his brothers, to be able to see appropriate modeled behavior. Except that he threw a temper tantrum. Until he threw up. In the barber's chair. I know how lucky I am...

So today, I'm thinking we are good. It has been MONTHS since the kids and I went back. Joshua does not need a haircut. It should be fine.

Not so much.

Because Andrew threw up. In the barber's chair.

You know how you know you're a mom? When you have to clean up your kid's vomit in public.

In his defense, he did manage to keep it all in the barber's cape and got none of it on himself.

So picture this, barber is knocking on back doors of the shopping center, trying to find a hose. Joshua is screaming his head off in the stroller. John is walking/running to the convenience store a couple of doors down to find water for Andrew.

No hose in the shopping center.

After he was done vomiting, I took the cape and desperately tried to find a hose to clean it up. I cross the street to the townhouse complex across the way. I find one: victorious. I turn on the faucet. No water.

Great.

My only other option is to go to the insipid lake that this little community surrounds. The water looks disgusting. What do I do?

I bent over a got a taste of laundry, circa 1840.

There is nothing I wouldn't do for my kids. This proves it.

Afterwards, I washed the cape again in the shampoo sink in the back, with real soap and water.

But I have been yucked out ever since.

The problem is I can't decide what did it. The vomit or the lake water?

And just so you know, it will be MONTHS until I go back to that barber again.

Great souvenir, huh?