Release the Secret Weapon

So, I have been sick. We're going on over a week now and I'm feeling pretty tired and crappy. Though my body is tired, I still gathered up all the kiddos yesterday morning and we made our way to church. I will admit I contemplated staying home because I just felt so dag-gum bad. Overall, it was a good choice, the kids left church with smiles on their faces, and I left with renewed strength.

Then we get home. Everyone headed to the kitchen to fix lunch. There were sandwiches being made, Chef Boyardee and I had a strawberry Pop-tart. I was sitting at the table with my three year old as she worked on her cheese sandwich. My nine year old was preparing herself a bowl of Beefaroni. She was becoming a bit frustrated as it was taking forever for her noodles to get warm. At one point, she sat at the table and began eating only to become discouraged that the middle was still cold and so she returned to the microwave.

My eleven year old was talking to me as the nine year old tried making her way back to the table. She attempted walking between the eleven year old and bar top while carrying her hot bowl. She didn't make it. She dropped the bowl. Noodles went everywhere. I couldn't look. I just sat there. I then asked if it was on the carpet. I sat for a moment not because I was mad but because I felt like death. I did not feel like getting up and spending an hour cleaning tomato sauce from the carpet.

Sure enough, when I stood, there was tomato sauce and noodles all over the off-white carpet. The nine year old was already on her knees picking up the noodles that lay scattered on the floor. I sent the eleven year old up the stairs to grab my secret weapon. Now at that moment, I did not realize it was going to be my secret weapon but instead thinking it was the best shot I had at fading this mess.

The child returned with the blue bottle and we equipped ourselves with paper towels and damp washcloths. I began spraying all of the red spots. The nine year old was eager to scrub but I made her wait. We gave it a few moments to soak and then we began to work. We gently scrubbed those spots and watched as the red tomato sauce was pulled away from the threads of carpet. I sat there just a bit in shock.

As a mom of five, I have had much experience with Mr. Chef Boyardee. I have witnessed many a white t-shirt stained forever by those tomato-covered noodles that are accidentally dropped when partaking in the delectable cuisine. I did not feel there was any hope for the poor carpet. I felt it was doomed to be stained forever. Alas, I was wrong. I know, first time for everything.

I know you are asking yourself, "what WAS that secret weapon she used?" Nothing special. Just a bottle of Woolite Oxi Deep Carpet Cleaner. Needless to say, I was impressed and have now added this product to the list of must haves for moms.