Exactly 2 boys having had their surgery this week.
Exactly 1 who will not go potty or poop with a cone on his head.
Exactly 300 times I have said, "stop licking" even with collars on.
Exactly 1 boy who came home from school ill yesterday.
Exactly 2 throw ups cleaned up after I got home from work yesterday, one all over me right after I got out of the shower.
Exactly 3 times I have now treated myself for suspected lice.
Exactly 3 times this mother did not tell me she had found lice on her children until I was already working with them.
Exactly 2 peppermint shampoos with peppermint oil afterward which stayed on all night, and 1 major lice shampoo yesterday because she found them on the little boys hair after I worked with him on Tuesday but did not inform me until I was working on him yesterday.
Exactly 400 swear words spoken to my sister on the way home from work yesterday before stopping to get lice treatment.
Exactly 3 times in 2 weeks my bed has been completely torn apart and washed in super hot water, just in case.
Exactly 4 times I have checked Little Buddy for lice, zero found.
Exactly 8 times it has taken me to wash most of lice treatment out of my hair, most is the key word, there is still some there.
Exactly zero lice found during the 100 times I have combed my hair with a lice comb.
Exactly 4 minutes spent crocheting this week.
Exactly 5,000 times my head has itched because I think I have lice but I do not.
Exactly 100 times your head will now itch reading this.
Exactly way too much information for all of you, but this is my life my friends and you know I am all about reality.
Exactly 1 tooth finally pulled out and visit from the Tooth Fairy this week. You can see the adult tooth already there, and in the wrong place I might add.
Exactly 1 boy who is going to cost us thousands of dollars in orthodontia.
Exactly 2 fur boys who had a bath and a face haircut by me prior to surgery. I wanted them to look their best.
Exactly 2 places that have Little Buddy on their waiting list for physical therapy, my frustration on that subject is still at an all time high.
Exactly 1 watered down juice box and a small bowl of goldfish crackers ingested by one little boy so far today, with nothing coming back up. Hooray!
How exactly has your week been?
Yikes! This is making my week look pretty darn good. I remember being totally creeped out about lice in the schools when my kids were little. I don't envy you having to deal with it. Boy it sounds like everything is happening at once there. Hope it all settles down soon. Dogs with cones on their heads is enough all on it's own to deal with.
ReplyDeleteEXACTLY one big hug coming your way.
ReplyDeleteTea Tree oil spray Meredith......they run a mile if they get a whiff of that!!! The lice that is not the dogs or the rest of your family!!! I just know how you feel in fact I am beginning to itch! Very unfair the mother is not considerate enough to inform you beforehand!
ReplyDeletekeep well
Amanda xx
It sounds quite a week. Poor doggies, those collars can't be pleasant for pups who just want to get into everything. I think it brings it home how lucky we are having the NHS for things like dental treatment.
ReplyDeleteOh dear Meredith, a lot better than yours. My head is now itching, even though I know it is impossible to get lice through the internet Lol!!! Hope the boys are feeling better soon.
ReplyDeleteMy week has been fine. But, it doesn't take long to think of the many weeks that I would not be able to say that. Oh my, oh my, I am so sorry for the turmoil and challenges you are currently facing. I kept reading and reading and it only got worse and worse. Yes, I certainly feel some itching coming on !!! Your experiences with those tenacious, annoying, creepy crawlers takes me back to my 17 year old self when I was in Nurses Training at Los Angeles Pediatric General Hospital in 1958 and I was assigned to a private room patient that was in isolation. My patient was a young girl with long braided hair whose mother would not allow to be cut that had a heavy lice infestation. As I reflect on time, it was the most creepy, yucky disgusting situation. I truly do not remember other details but I will never forget that girl.
ReplyDeleteIt certainly is annoying (putting it kindly) that you were not forewarned by others who were terribly negligent. I am really really itching now. Just kidding ! But, it is NOT a laughing matter. I wish you strength, patience, peace, love, some frivolity and much better days along with God's blessings.
Oh my! What a life you lead dear Meredith. Is it possible to not go to that house anymore and explain to the mother why? I think this is going far and above the call of duty.
ReplyDeleteYay for LB getting his first tooth fairy visit. Yay, for the surgeries being over and done with. Boo, for the little guy having a bug. Piper had one last week too but it was very short lived, thank goodness.
I hope you have a little bit of crochet time this weekend my friend.
Blessings,
Betsy
Here's hoping you have a wonderfully stress-free weekend! You certainly deserve it.
ReplyDeleteGoldfish??! Oh, Meredith, (scratching my head as I type this), I don't know how you do it sometimes. The lice thing would have put me over the edge. I won't tell you about my week, because even though the reason for it was not what I would choose, it was very quiet.
ReplyDeleteI hope you can find some R&R this weekend.
Hugs to you.
The power of suggestion. Look at it this way, it can only get better. Wishing you the best and the weekend is here.
ReplyDeleteYou are exactly lovely. What a week my friend. And yes, I am scratching my head. Bertie pooped out exactly one entire balloon on Wednesday. The littlest boy looked astonished when I told him. After a moment he said, 'Inflated?' Thankfully not, but it was a really good size, one of the big tough ones. We were all duly impressed. I am having a day out ON MY OWN tomorrow. I honestly think it's the first one in 14 years. I am going to a local literary festival. I am absolutely beside myself at the idea of it all. Even if it's ghastly it will be a DAY OUT. I hope you have a lovely weekend and that the itching and scratching and all of the bad things stop. At least you have those three adorable faces looking up at you. CJ xx
ReplyDeleteYikes, I am itchy! I hope you get on top of the lice quickly. We have them regularly. I find the best treatment is by far mechanical removal with a very fine comb combined with cuddle abstinence (that's a difficult one). Head lice don't survive very long away from a person and are only very rarely transmitted by indirect means such as pillows and bedding, once you can't find any in your hair, you should be fine. Keeping my fingers crossed. Still itchy... The The tooth fairy has been very unreliable here and has even dropped a tooth in plain sight. I am glad she has visited LB recently, very exciting. With a bit of luck, his teeth will end up in the right place, his jaw has still a lot of growing to do and there may be more space for big teeth :-) I am glad we have the NHS to pay for orthodontics in children. Having said that, this only applies when the situation is considered serious enough. British teeth are infamously wonky!
ReplyDeleteI hope Bear and Hank recover quickly from their surgery. Double trouble but oh so cute. Wishing you plenty of time to crochet this weekend xx
Oh wow, you need a little me time to recharge yourself.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was Nannying the 2 girls had waist length hair and the only way to get rid of lice was to apply half a cup of cheap conditioner mixed with half teaspoon of Tea Tree Oil and some Lavander oil, leave it on for half an hour under a shower cap and must ! ! Repeat in 7 days to stop the cycle. ..easy, cheap,non toxic and actually works.
Hope you get some crafting time over the weekend.
The pups are so handsome, and so is Mr. Buddy.
ReplyDeleteI've got a funny lice story for you (yours isn't funny.. so hopefully this will make you smile..)
Way back when I bought our old cat Rocky home from the barn... a few days after bringing him home, I noticed tiny little light brown bits of what looked like dirt all around his scruff. I started combing it out, and noticed that some of the bits were moving!!!! They weren't fleas, but I figured a flea bath wouldn't hurt so into the sink he went (and he never forgave me for it). When he was done, I started combing him out with the flea comb. Whatever they were, they were still stuck in his fur, but they weren't moving any more. I combed them out, and since he had a vet appointment the next day, I folded a few into a napkin to show the vet.
At the vet's we learned he had ear mites, worms, fleas, and those little brown things.... LICE!
As soon as the vet said the word, I got itchy. He'd been sleeping on my pillow for days! Not to mention Dave, who would die if he got lice... The vet must have seen the look on my face, because she immediately said... "It's okay... they are cat lice - not the same ones as human's get. Theses ones won't bother with you!"
Phew!
Oh dear, poor doggies. Thank goodness for the tooth fairy, sounds like you could do with a house fairy to come and give you a hand xx
ReplyDeleteOh dear, oh dear. That lice thing is the pits. When I was a teacher I could handle the lice better than I could the ringworm. I always seemed to have had an itchy case of it in the most embarrassing places.
ReplyDeleteI love little Buddy and I love your dogs and I love you sharing your life!
ReplyDeleteBeen there, Done that! Still doing that! 💖
Oh, boy! I've had a hard week but no lice.
ReplyDeleteWe do have the throw ups.....once that smell is in your nose, it is a long-time friend! I hope your weekend is better!
No where near as crazy as your's! Scout did have a bump in the tub and hurt her mouth so stayed with me one day (which I enjoyed). The lice treatment is crazy. Hugs and more hugs!
ReplyDeleteOh you made me LOL so many times as I read this. Poor pups having those cones on. But so good that you got them neutered and have it done with. Shawn's dog Meeka is in heat.. AGAIN.. we need to get her fixed asap. She has taken a liking to poor old little Buddy.. of course he's fixed and way too short.. poor Meeka. I can so relate on the head lice thing. My kids got it when they were young and the grandsons have had a bout or two of it.. but thankfully neither Dayle nor I got them. UGH. How much does the tooth fairy give at your house? LOL! I remember getting a quarter. Sheesh. Have a restful weekend! ((hugs)), Teresa :-)
ReplyDeleteI will say that what I thought was a busy week definitely did not compare to yours Meredith! Quite the adventure. We've had a few lice scares at our little preschool but to date, just exposure, no actual lice situations. But every time, my head feels like it's crawling for days! Hope you have a relaxing weekend and a quieter week next week!
ReplyDeleteX Chy
Goodness! What a louse-y week you've had. Hopefully it will calm down soon. Normal stuff for me pretty much. Our weather is warmer finally. Now if I can keep a co-worker from insisting the front door needs to stay open I'll be happier! Air conditioning goes on and then it gets too warm if door is open. And birds fly in too! Have a good weekend in spite of everything! xx
ReplyDeleteYou have a great sense of humor about it all, though, and that's wonderful. I give you so much credit for dealing with all you are dealing with! Lucky you, though: that boy, those dogs. So, so precious.
ReplyDeleteOh, my week has been a restful cakewalk, compared to yours. Hang in there!
ReplyDelete(I'll join you in swearing, if it will help...!)
i'm surprised that bear and hank haven't figured out how to chew off each other's cone. ESCAPE!
ReplyDeletemy heart to yours darling bean.
i don't relate to any of it. what i love is your courage and humour in the face of GAAAGGGHHH!!!!
admiringly and itchingly yours. t.
Meredith
ReplyDeleteOh boy. Big hugs. The lice thing would have me livid and neurotic at the same time. So glad lil buddy has no lice. SO SO glad you have not had any. Can you wear a hat or kerchief at their house? Who cares if she is offended. She hasn't been honest with you and you are just being honest with her.
For someone under so much stress may I say you are really creative in this post?
My week has been full of trying to support my sister and her daughter as best I can while they go through a physical and emotional crises. My niece busted her pelvis skiing out of state. Also a friend is very down. Must help and must maintain healthy boundaries at the same time. Rereading your helpful comment a bit ago.
I don’t know “exactly” what to write, but hang in there and yes my head did itch while reading your post. :-)
ReplyDeleteMy week has been pretty good, especially compared to yours! I think you need exactly one full day at a spa. :-) xoxo
ReplyDeleteBuddy might be ok. My daughter started teething at 3 months much to the shock of the health visitor. Her adult teeth came through at 5. At one stage she had two rows of bottom teeth. The adult teeth were very far back. But they came forward as soon as the baby teeth fell out. She did need a mouth brace for a couple of years. But it was the type that wasn't wired to the teeth. Orthodontic treatment is free here. But her cousin in Ireland cost his parents a lot of money. So I understand the worry.
ReplyDeleteI have no idea how you keep track of all that! Not to mention how manage three boisterous boys! Hats off to you!
ReplyDeleteIt is a crime that LB has to wait for his PT! He is at such an important age and growing so fast. I hope he's at least getting some PT at school. If it's in his IEP, he should. We have PTs in all our schools. We also have MUCH higher taxes than Florida, so I'm wondering if there are fewer services in the schools?
Oh my! Never a dull moment around there. Hope everyone is on the mend now and you've gotten over the itchiness. :)
ReplyDeletethat lice saga would definitely tick me off immensely. You are one busy busy girl! I brought home a cone for Holly after her spay and it was HUGE and there was no way she'd be able to eat drink walk....and it was a soft one. Poor little guys :) Look at that wiggly tooth!!
ReplyDeletePoor Meredith! It's so sad but you say it in a way that it is almost funny!
ReplyDeleteI feel sorry that you only had 4 minutes of crochet! But the lice... I know that problem! My daughter has come home from school already 2 times in a few months time with lice. I didn't notice in time, so I got them too. We've had several treatments, but the problem is that some people don't treat it or don't bother to warn other people. I hate it!
Speaking of the orthodont... As a result of the bike accident of my daughter last year (she lost 2 front teeth back then), we've paid more than 25 visits to the dentist and orthodont the past 12 months... And the end isn't near. She'll probably need an operation. So I hate the dentist too, though I'm grateful for what he does.
Anyhow, I just wanted to say that I sympathize with you!
Hope it gets better and easier for you soon!!!
Big hug, Sigrid
Oh WOW, I feel your frustration! Lice....yikes, and not just once but several times! Good luck!
ReplyDelete....Lol...Oh Crickey!!!!!! What a week you had sweetchops!!! I'm beaming you big hugs and kisses....and a hot cup of tea/coffee! Some weeks just go crazy and let me see now???...only 400 swear words? I would've gone for more I reckon. Some people! But with all the challenges you went through, at least you see how strong you are. I hope and wish a better week next week. xx
ReplyDeleteHi Meredith. I have not blogged in a year. I don't even read them anymore. But today, I was reading some of my old favorites to catch up. I am so sorry to hear of you losing your Max. What a great dog he was. We too, lost our beloved Dusty Boy in September. We miss him so. We recently adopted a Dachshund, and although a Wienie Dog was never on our radar, we have fallen in love with this sweet little boy named Duke! I see you also have two new pups! And Little Buddy....ahhhh, gorgeous as ever.
ReplyDeleteKris
Hey Mer! You are the best as usual! Eww Lice I’d be wanting to kick that women’s arse. I got kicked off blogger and can’t get back in ... yet.,, and my head feels itchy .. Chris
ReplyDeleteWhat a week! Hope you are no longer haunted by phantom lice. Also hope that Little Buddy isn't on the waiting list too long, and that you have a few more minutes for crochet next week :) xx
ReplyDeleteOh what a week. I treated myself so many times working with pre schoolers. My son brought some home from school as well. The worst for sure. My granddaughter keeps getting them. She's 12 and has the most beautiful thick hair. They have done a treatment for the whole family twice now. Very expensive. Awful critters.
ReplyDeleteI hope the dogs are healed and Little Buddy too.
Hugs
You have my utter sympathy as I understand your frustration with selfish, inconsiderate people. We had a similar problem with the primary school - I'd get my child and home free of nits only to have one day back at school and home they'd come again!
ReplyDeleteIt became plain that the source was someone in the classroom. I eventually found out who it was - a child that was continually sent to school unkempt. The poor thing was stigmatised because of it. Eventually the child was required to attend the office for a head check before being allowed into the classroom. We were not the only family up in arms about the continual nit infestations.
I'm like you in that I will wash EVERYTHING: sheets, lounge chair throws, etc. to make sure there's no cross- or re-infestations) and for someone with limited physical capacity, it was absolutely exhausting! "Inconvenience" was a massive understatement - more like 'distress' or 'trauma' to describe the outcome for us.
I found commercial nit solutions ineffective as it seems lice are becoming resistant to the chemicals. We found tea tree oil effective, leaving it in the hair overnight in a shower cap and then rinsing in the morning and doing a visual/manual nit check the next day. Then we massaged hair conditioner through and leave it in the hair. All the long hair was worn in tight braids or buns close to the head to avoid any strays!
The school insisted that electronic lice combs were the most effective but I disagree. One morning I was waiting around and so was the child waiting for a head check. As a regular volunteer at the school, the busy office staff asked me if I wouldn't mind checking the child as they handed me the electronic comb.
I was so shocked at the state of the child's hair - there were adult lice crawling all over. Unfortunately there were no shocks to the lice as claimed by the marketeers of the comb which is supposed to kill lice with electric shocks. There must have been serious issues with the home environment for the child to continually have such bad infestations. Poor thing!
Throughout the school years we were vigilant with nit checks at the beginning and end of every school holiday period regardless. It helps to identify the source of the outbreak.
I feel for you Meredith - you don't expect the source to be a careless parent. If only they realised the consequences of their actions for everyone else.