Yesterday, we headed to Texas for the Walk. We are professional roadtrippers - so, we had everything packed and ready to go for our ten hour trip. We've learned to carry a barf bucket. So, three hours into it, when Lucy started showing signs of Barf-a-Rama, I just whipped out my nifty barf bucket and handed it back. As much as I'm a professional roadtripper, my daughter is a professional barfer.
She just sat there, watching her movie, holding the bucket, ready for launch. We tried to find a place to get some Dramamine, but ended up making four stops, and getting off the highway in Kansas City apparently involves a commitment to getting lost and lots of windy roads and curves. Not great for the motion-sick girl in the back. I finally got her a children's dramamine.
It turns out though, Lucy has never swallowed a pill. It's been all about chewables, melt-a-ways, and nasty cough syrup. So, now, we've got a gagging, motion-sick kid, in a moving car, learning how to swallow a pill. Poor thing couldn't figure it out, so it sat on the back of her tongue- that aspiriny taste - while she's downing water, and gagging trying to swallow the pill. Ugh. She finally did it.
And then five minutes later, she barfed the pill up along with the blueberry pancakes and what the hell is that? DEAR LORD - ARE THOSE WHOLE GRAPES!? I tell Ricardo while Lucy is in mid-barf, "Baby, you've got to see this!"
Ricardo, remembering the time I shoved rotten milk in his nose and said, "Smell This" - he's not falling for it this time and just says, "I do NOT need to see that." And keep driving. Again, we have to get off the highway to dump the barf - windy roads. Poor kids.
Lucy finishes barfing and pushes the bucket away and says, "Here, show daddy."
"Baby, I don't think he wants to see it."
"BUT I WANT YOU TO SHOW DADDY."
"Fine."
I non-chalantly show Ricardo. He's a bit put off, and yet, like me, intrigued at the amount, the whole grapes, and the consistency of the barf.
I get Lucy another dramamine, and we hit the road, again. I check on Lucy and asked if she was okay, if she needed anything.
"I WANT TO GET OUT OF THE CAR."
And the loving, compassionate parents we are, we kept driving until the dramamine kicked in and she fell asleep.
Yet another day of cleaning up other peoples bodily fluids. Ahhh, motherhood - the good life.
That's how I roll.
I remember Lucy's dad barfing in a Kentucky Fried Chicken box in the backseat of the car as we traveled on the Loop in Chicago at rush hour. Kids give you the greatest memories. Cherrish them.
Les,
From one motion-sick-person to the mom of a motion-sick-person: Give that kid Dramamine an hour before you hit the road - ALWAYS. And Dramamine pills don't taste like asprin ... it's WAY worse. Try it. It's disgusting.
People who don't get motion sick don't understand people who do. It's really yucky! I've dealt with it all my life. Do Luc a favor and make sure she gets Dramamine before every single long-distance trip. Sitting in the front seat and having cool air blowing on you also help immensely.
Love ya!
Becky Newell
Ahhh....yes! Projectile vomiting in the back seat. I remember it well.
My question would be........Whole grapes, but not a pill?
Beth and I call that Bio Hazzard Duty. We both believe with our recent job status of Executive Mom we get to now bullet point all of our new found talents and skills. Bio Hazzard duty and Crime SCENE CLEAN UP are at the top of my resume.
SophiA