Flaming Sponges

I have the best husband in the world.  Really, it's true.  He's quite amazing. 

For as long as I can remember, I have primarily been the one who does the dishes in our house.  James surely does help, but I am generally the one who ends up washing them them majority of the time.  And I'm fine with this arrangement.  James works all day long, while I do my best to stay afloat at home with the kids.  Back when we just had Zack, James would play with him after dinner while I did the dishes and got the kitchen back in somewhat order.  It's a pet peeve of mine to wake up and have a dirty kitchen.  It seriously puts me in a bad mood. 

Now that sweet little Alison is here, there is significantly less time for things like doing dishes, laundry, showering, etc, etc.  Our after dinner routine of James and Zack playing while I cleaned the kitchen went flying out the window at warp speeds.  But, James, being the wonderful man he is, has started helping me out majorly with the dishes.  If I'm entertaining the kids, or feeding the wee one (which seriously is happening all the time....), he will do the dishes for me.  Without even being asked.  (I told you he's amazing!) 

Well, apparently James has a highly developed sense of smell.  And you know how the kitchen sponge can get a little stinky if it doesn't get wrung out after every use??  Well, he can detect a stinky kitchen sponge long before I can, and every time he does the dishes he says the sponge smells. 

This past weekend he could handle the smell no longer, and took maters into his own hands.  He decided to put the sponge in the microwave to fry any stinky stuff that may have taken up residence in said sponge.  Here is how things went down. 

James puts damp sponge in microwave.  Turns microwave on for 5 minutes. 

Karen-"You put it in for 5 minutes?! I only do 2 minutes!  There are a lot of bubbles coming out of the sponge." 

James, assumes Karen reset microwave for 2 minutes, rather than 5.

Karen does not reset microwave, but goes about administering Zantac to baby.  Looks up at microwave, sees sponge ON FIRE.

Karen, running the other way, with baby in arms, "the microwave is on fire, it's on FIRE!!!!"

James, runs to kitchen, opens microwave, starts blowing out flaming sponge. 

Karen, "do I need to call 911?!?  Don't you need water to put out the fire?!?!" 

James picks up pizza sheet from stove top, scoops still flaming sponge out of microwave, takes it to sink, douses it with water, extinguishing the remaining flames. 

Karen, "we should take a picture."

We were left with a VERY smelly house, and a crazy stinky microwave.  We opened all the doors and windows and aired the house out, but the following day still had a smelly microwave.  A combo of baking soda and water, then lemon juice and water, and finally lemon juice, water and cloves, all microwaved, has rid our microwave of the burnt sponge smell.  Now it smells like cloves, but whatever, cloves is waaaaaaay better than burnt sponge, trust me. 

And the irony of it all-Zack was watching Fireman Sam for the duration of the flaming sponge incident.  He barely looked up from the screen to see what all the commotion was about.