Monday. Both he and the kids have the week off of school for mid-
winter break. We are very excited about our trip. I started doing some
research today on tips that might be posted for families traveling to
our location. (Which by the way is a large indoor water park in
Sandusky. You should be able to figure it out now!)
To my surprise and horror I didn't find tips on how to use this
location with three kids of varying ages like I had hoped. What I did
find out was they have had several issues with bed bugs. Yikes! I have
traveled extensively with all of my children. I know how to plan for
long car rides, long plane rides, vacations that involve lots of
differing temperatures and require lots of clothing. I do not know how
to plan for the possibility of bed bugs.
So I did my homework. What I have found out is truly gross and made me
itch in my own home. The signs of infestation involve bugs, dead skin
and feces. May I just say YUCK! And of course my biggest fear is that
we may bring them home. I am lucky in that it is still freezing
temperatures here in Michigan and that freezing them is one way to
kill them. The other is washing everything in scalding hot water and
drying them on high.
My packing list now includes a flashlight for my husband's inspection
of the room and garbage bags for all of our things to be put into
before coming back into our home. Instead of bringing in our luggage
from the car when we check in we will be checking in with a
flashlight. I will distract the children by having them look around
while my husband goes to the room to investigate. But my reading has
warned that even though there are no outward signs of bedbugs they can
crawl through cracks in the wall and through the duct system. So even
though your room doesn't have them the room next to you might.
Needless to say my excitement over this trip has waned a bit. I am now
more worried about the possibility of an infestation of my own home.
Which I will share with you all I will not handle well. (Read: I WILL
FREAK OUT!) Our luggage and clothing will be put in the back yard and
remain outside overnight. I will then bring everything in and take it
straight to the laundry room where it will all go in the same load and
be washed probably two to three times. Am I being a bit obsessive?
Heck yes!
I am assured that we will have a lot of fun on our little mini-
vacation but unfortunately the bed bug issue will probably invade my
thoughts every now and then. I am sure I will not sleep well because I
will be worried about my children and bugs. It has brought to light a
whole new way of checking for hotels and research I will conduct for
our trips in the future.
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