everything is going to be all right

It's pretty rare to have those "awesome mom moments", so when they come I gladly bottle them up and hold on to them as long as humanly possible.  The little notes with a mangled, smiling blob that says "mom".  When they still hold your hand after kindergarten.  Or sitting and watching a musical together and they let me sing more than one line before they start barfing. I can't sing, in case you didn't know. Just ask Jed Wheeler.

Finding lice on your kids heads was definitely not one of those moments.  In case you have never experienced finding a louse on your child's head (Heaven bless you), this is how it happens:

"What was that?!" as I was braiding her hair. That can't be what I think it was, because we've been hearing of other people having lice. But that wouldn't happen to us. Nope, that could never happen to us. And then you inspect further, and further and find that, true to life, you are the worst mother on the face of the planet. Your school kids have lice. The great black waving flag of pestilence, plague, and filthiness. I felt ashamed, embarrassed, and like I had completely let down my kids. I mean, I knew I was close, and those dang bugs just closed the case. I'm good for nothing.

Luckily Danna was in town and helped me comb through the girls' hair. Each girl takes over an hour to comb through. Yes, their hair is too long. And no, you can't find anyone to cut their hair when they have lice.  So, two+ hrs a day combing through hair with a flashlight for 5 days. Plus washing every sheet, towel, clothes used that day. Plus bagging all their toys, stuffed animals, etc. etc. etc. (And when I use, etc. etc. etc. I always say it in my Yul Brynner accent)

The positive side to all of this that it has kick started my spring cleaning this year. Everything is getting cleaned and the kids' rooms are much nicer with most of the toys bagged and spending a nice 2 weeks vacation out by the shed.

And I hope your head has been itching the entire time reading this. Mine's been itching since Saturday.

ps- if your kids go to our school, please check their heads, with a flashlight and magnifying glass and every day please and thank you.

pps-our school is afraid of pure panic so haven't spread the word about this friendly lice outbreak for the last few weeks. AWESOME!!!

ppps- my favorite quote this week "There is no shame in catching lice, only in keeping it."