Mama Diaries

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Odoriferous Odors

Kids stink.  Literally.  When they're babies, it's spit up and poopy diapers.  As they get older, it becomes grime and dirty socks.  Not to mention teenage body odor.  I cringe just thinking about what I'm going to smell in the next few years!

Two years ago, I noticed a particularly foul odor. It was coming from the laundry room.  I searched in the washing machine.  I searched in the dryer.  I searched in the cracks and crevices behind the washer and dryer.  But I couldn't find the culprit.  Finally, I spotted my son's backpack.  As soon as I unzipped it, I knew this was the source of the problem.  I couldn't imagine what could possibly be causing it.

Of course, the backpack was completely stuffed with papers, books, and objects having little or nothing to do with school.  It took a while to get to the bottom.  But when I got there, I found a rotting peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  It had to be at least two weeks old.

"Bubba," I called.  "Why didn't you eat your lunch?"

I don't remember his excuse.  But what I do remember, is that his retort was, "Mama, you should've cleaned my backpack.  Then it wouldn't have had this putrid odor!"

Of course.  It's always the Mama's fault!    

47 comments:

  1. Disgusting.
    It's like the beginning of Jurassic Park when Dr. Grant states that kids smell. They do!

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  2. Oh yeah, been there with the mouldy sandwiches. But having teenage girls I've found worse things abandoned in the bathroom. Yeesh!

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    1. Yes. I have a teenage girl, and I'll tell you, her bathroom is messier than her brother's!

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  3. Great story. So true. I have spent a good deal of time searching for that "putrid odor" and more than once found it to be a backpack out of control. Also shoes, gym bags, wet towels stuffed somewhere out of sight, and the list goes on. Great double O entry, Sherry. Love visiting your blog. Maria from Delight Directed Living

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    1. I can never understand what's so hard about cleaning your back pack or gym bag. Why are moms the only ones with sense enough to do it?

      Glad you're enjoying the blog!

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  4. Yes it always the mamma's fault. She should clean up in time. Kids will be kids.

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  5. Here's what I don't get... if a kid knows what is causing the smell, why don't they just throw it out? I am aware that this is a COMMON problem and not specific to any generation. I can still hear my mother saying in *that voice,* "I am not your slave."

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    1. Tell me about it! I don't recall ever leaving stinky messes like this, because I was such a neat freak. I think, though, that once kids become parents, they realize what a pain messes are, and work to clean them up.

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  6. Mothers get them blame for everything, I still get the blame and my three are in their forties.

    Yvonne.

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  7. I'm afraid it doesn't get any better. My son is 17 and I still go through this constantly. The other day I stuck my hand down his knapsack and encountered sticky, gummy, moldy pizza. Yuck! And quite often he doesn't finish his sandwiches, but doesn't bother to re-refrigerate at the end of the day. Such a waste of food. I'm sure he should be making his own lunches most of the time now that he's in his teens, and sometimes I make him, hoping that if he makes it himself, he'll also eat it.

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    1. Yuck! If you ever figure out a solution, please let me know!

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  8. Our car stinks and I'm scared of what may be growing under the seats. I keep telling myself that one day, my kids will be old enough to eat in the car without dropping food everywhere. When that day comes, it will be time to buy a new car.

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    1. They can be such slobs! My kids were worse when they were toddlers, but they still leave their empty packages and wrappers in the back seat for me to clean up.

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  9. I had this same scenario with a backpack and under the bed smells (food they didn't want to finish). One daughter managed to hide meat she didn't want between the napkins or under her cushion seat.

    A mother has to be crafty to find these hiding spots. At least the darling little ones are exhibiting creative thinking: if I forget about it, it isn't there. . .

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    1. What's so hard about just throwing the food in the garbage can? If they can walk to their rooms, they can easily walk to the trash receptacle!

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  10. Always check their backpacks! I found a rotten black banana in my son's once:( Ugh. Now that my boys are teens, they smell really good--like Axe spray;-D

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    1. I like Axe spray! It's good your boys care about their personal hygiene. I hope my son is like that, too.

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  11. Oh man, I hate the mysterious odor problem! All that sniffing around, while the smell drives you crazy. Is bet a rotten two week old PB&J sandwich would do it, yeah!

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  12. Sounds like a yucky experience for sure and it's a shame that mamas take the blame. It does seem to go with the territory,though.

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  13. Eek... I bet smell that will take a while to forget!

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  14. Kids bring the stink all through the ages haha

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  15. LOL! I know what you mean. I'm always running into interesting odors. I wonder how much nicer my house will smell when they're all grown up and moved out...

    True Heroes from A to Z

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    1. I'm sure much nicer! And it will be so much cleaner!

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  16. Eww! And I think it's more his fault than yours. :)

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  17. Sigh, I still fight the battle of the emptying backpack. What is it with kiddos and storing things away like squirrels when it comes to the contents of their backpack? lol!

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    1. I ask my boy everyday if he needs all the papers in the back pack. Very rarely does he ever say he doesn't!

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  18. Without kids, my house smells very nice, but it's very empty. The dogs contribute some stinky gas occasionally.

    Love,
    Janie

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  19. It's always Mom's fault. That's part of the job description. I never touched the inside of my son's backpack. I was scared what might be in there. Anything from perfect stones for skipping to small ring snakes.

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    1. I'd completely freak out if I found a snake or a scorpion hiding in there!

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  20. I'm so glad I'm not a mama :)

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  21. Oh wow, I can smell it from here.

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    1. You can smell it a state away? Now that's what I call odoriferous!

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    1. No kidding! I don't think even that could do the job against this odor!

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  23. He knows how to flip the script and shift the blame... LOL

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  24. Then there's always the other side of it...the wonderful smell of babies...powder and just baby smell....Then there's the smell of their shampoo and whatever...it's not all bad! :)

    Jamie Dement (LadyJai)
    My A to Z
    Caring for My Veteran

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