October 27 – “If you need me …”

Josh and Christi had a critter problem.  Not that some cute little opossum or perhaps raccoon had taken up residence nearby.  Whatever this critter was, it was dead.  And we couldn’t find it.  And as a result the stench that centered around their master bedroom had become almost unbearable.  Desperate to solve the problem before Luke came home, Christi had been calling critter removal people for days with no results.  They have an account with Terminix, though, so that guy had to come out to honor their contract.  With Josh staying the night at the hospital, it fell to me to host Mr. Terminix.  He arrived around 8 a.m., and we searched that bedroom from top to bottom.  Sadly, we found nothing.  He finally gave us an address of a place that sells mega-deodorizer bags and bid us good luck.

Meanwhile, the heater went out at hospital.  Wonder if that same mystery kid (who “might” have caused the alarm-blaring, door-locking fiasco of the day before) was lurking anywhere nearby?  So we brought up a space heater and some jackets.  When we arrived, Josh, Christi, and Luke were all snuggled up together in the hospital bed keeping each other warm after a night when everyone on the hospital floor was miserable.  It got so bad that they had to keep a special watch on all the babies’ body temperatures. 

We got to meet Taylor, Sarah’s husband.  Sarah was the one who took the boys to the zoo.  Josh and I went to get the mega-deodorizer, and Taylor met us at the house to try to look under furniture and inside of the box spring to locate the source of the odor.  Taylor brought us some great sandwiches.  Toasted bun, ham and turkey, melted cheese, and some really good cheese soup.  Have to get the name of that place.  After turning over furniture and carrying mattress and box spring outside, we decided the dead animal must be in the tiny space between the roof and ceiling of an addition in master bedroom.  The only way we could see to access it short of tearing out ceiling sheetrock would be to peel off a board or two from the eaves and shine a light in to see if we could see the offending critter.  Problem is, the only way to do that would be with a 20 foot ladder.  So we hung the deodorizer and hoped for the best.  It was supposed to take around 24 hours to absorb the odors in the room.  It also said “carcass removal not necessary.”  Now that I have to see.  

We made our way back to the hospital and later Chris and I took Zak and Caleb and Josh to the park to run and play.  It took a while to get there, and not just because Josh kept having to stop and turn around and make u-turns here and there.  It really was a long way from the hospital.  The playground was great fun, though.  Me, Josh and Zak had a contest to see who could swing the highest.  I think it was a draw.  Zak did want me to keep going and swing all the way around the top.  Hey, I’m an awesome granddad and all, but I had to draw the line somewhere.  The boys then took turns pushing and crawling all over Josh on what must have been a special handicapped swing for adults.  It was like one of those seats at a theme park ride, with the bar that comes down over your head and locks you in.  Unfortunately, I had to take my turn in the hot seat as well.  After a few races on the playground apparatus (where Zak absolutely excelled in climbing and swinging and pulling his way through some difficult situations, all while humming the Indiana Jones theme song), we went down to the river (The Brazos, I think.  Still learning Waco geography and history) to do some exploring and toss in some rocks.  Along with the trash from previous fishermen, the place must have been full of ragweed.  I was miserable.  The adventure was worth it, though.  Zak continued the Indiana Jones theme as he climbed from rock to rock, often dangling precariously over the water.  His Daddy kept a watchful eye.  Sort of.  Well, at least he warned him that if he fell in the water we had no replacement clothes, so he would have to get in the car wet.  Perfect Dad response to dangerous behavior, wouldn’t you say?  Once Indiana Zak completed his mission, we headed for the car.  As we drove away from the playground, Caleb proclaimed, “If you need me, I’ll be back here asleep.” 

Finally, we headed back to the house for rest time.  And it was officially designated “movie rest time.”  Spy Kids 2.  Josh went back up to the hospital to try to catch a nap there.  I dozed on the floor.  Chris napped a bit on the couch.  Zak was enthralled with the movie.  Caleb couldn’t tear himself away, either.  And when the movie ended, Caleb, now sprawled out across the ottoman, made this observation, “Sometimes after movie rest time, I find that I still feel a little sleepy.”  Ah.  Me, too.  By the way, the bedroom still stunk, but rest of house was really not so bad. 

Psalms 118:19 says, “Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter and give thanks to the Lord.”

Father, help us get a handle on this critter situation before Christi and Luke come home.  Amen.