Mold

I hate mold. Not only is it really nasty stuff, but I am very allergic to it. Number two has had itchy eyes and a runny nose with a head ache all spring, and I was pretty sure he was getting spring allergies like his mother. Then we are getting ready to leave and our house-sitter has moved in. I decided to put her in Number Two's bedroom and move him in with Number One.

I cleaned the room, and decided that it really needed rearranging. Ok, I admit, I likely do more rearranging than the typical person. It has a calming effect on me. So I rearranged. And what I found was that all alongside his bed and the wall, there was mold and mildew growing. Ah ha. That is what was making him sick!

I cleaned and cleaned and killed it with bleach, but I still worried. The two kids in the more underground section of the house have captain's style beds - enclosed boxes. No air flows around them. I wondered if that was such a bright idea for those rooms, so when a coworker who recently moved to a bigger house said she wanted to get some boxes to fit under her son's bed, I asked if she'd like Number Two's bed. It has drawers under it. Her house is drier as it is all above ground, and the bed should work fine there. That meant we could take the bed her son is in, and the bed her daughter is in (she's getting a bigger one so she can share with her sister) and give them to a new family arriving. Those beds make a bunk bed, so it was a good fit for the new family which will be in a small house at first.

(We always said you could trace the history of missions by looking at the bottom of some furniture! Family name after family name written and crossed out with new owners.)

I was somewhere today where someone was selling furniture, and wasn't really looking, but found the perfect bed for one of the boys. Later I decided it would be for Number One, so was moving his room around when I found out that his board on his bed was covered in mildew. I thought I had cleaned it after the "flood", but it must have still been in it. I decided not to move it to his brother's room as was the original plan, but went back and bought the other bed this place was selling. It actually is a perfect match for Number Two's room, but he hates it. He wants me to hang up a hammock for him to sleep in since, "my room is a jungle room anyway, and a hammock would look great." I am seriously considering it... but I didn't think our house-sitter would be too happy if I took away her bed and gave her a hammock just now!

So, I think we are mold free now. I hope so. My head hurts even from the brief contact I had with the stuff. I'm very thankful for the new (to us) beds. They are really in great shape.

But I am tired. We leave in a week now to the US to begin traveling. I am almost packed, but not quite. I hadn't exactly planned on bed shopping and rearranging today.

I'm just thankful to be rid of mold. Yuck!