Three weeks ago I thought I had a busy week. I was out of town for work, in all day meetings, worked in my hotel room at night on 'regular work' and didn't get home until late Friday afternoon. The weekend allowed me to regroup and get things back in order and prepped for what was planned to be another busy week ending with the church festival and a wedding on Saturday.
However, by the time Monday afternoon rolled around I was starting to get suspicious of something. J was doing some extra scratching...on his head. Being the mother of the year material that I am, I continued to dismiss it. S was over doing some work for us for a couple of days (I do have pictures of S's work, but can't seem to find where my new phone uploaded them). Anyway, all three adults looked in J's head and saw a few black specs, but no bugs. Well thank goodness I thought, J doesn't have lice because those would be white specs not black ones.
At work, my internet search determined that my poor baby did indeed have that dreaded 'l-word'... lice. Totally grossed out, and disgusted I really desperately wanted to ignore it. I didn't want anyone to know. I hurried into Wally-World purchased the 'right chemicals' and a new pillow. Thankfully I didn't see anyone I knew.
I thought about my friend Cindy, and texted her, she'd understand. I emailed my mom, she'd had to comb me out as a kid. Nana would understand too, she'd even combed out my hair another time (or maybe the same time) when I got it as a kid. I was feeling pitiful and creep-ed out.
Then the laundry began. Wash everything in hot water so J could go to bed in just a few hours. Poison his little head and then do the comb out. I'll spare you the details.
Now we've made it to Wednesday late afternoon and it dawns on me. My head is not just itching in sympathy, it is actually itching. Accck! See for the last seven years when I'm out of town J is allowed to sleep on my side of the bed as a 'treat'. Some treat huh???
Now more washing and poisoning....but work is so busy I can't remember the school nurse's name or that I need to send her an email and tell her what we've been dealing with.
Friday I do mention it to the nurse and another mom has also reported a case. So with our dual report, that results in a full scale inspection of the 3rd grade. 10 of the 44 kids in 3rd grade got 'the call'. Not that I wish this on anyone, but I heard there were some cases that were more 'advanced' than ours, so my ostrich-like tendency wasn't the cause that was spreading it around.
What occurred to me though is that we 10 were all in this same predicament together, yet not until one person confessed (and I wasn't first) were we able to all talk about it more openly. It is interesting how when something is 'hidden' you get paralyzed with the shame and embarrassment of it, but when it has a chance to see the light of day those feelings are at least somewhat diminished.
I don't usually get too religious or preachy here, but this one really struck me between the eyes. The power of sin is so much like that. What you haven't confessed or made known to God (and He knows anyway) paralyzes you and keeps you stuck, but once you've confessed it and it is exposed to The Light, the shame and embarrassment is gone. God can make it clean again.
*stepping off religious soap box*
With that you'd think I was done with extra laundry, but I'm not...
Last Sunday J decided to pull a prank on me. He and I went for a walk with my neighbor K and her son M. M was riding his bike, J running along side. When K and I got to the first turn there was M's bike. We thought it was a little weird, but kept going to our normal turn around spot on the paved road. When we got there there were no boys. We searched, and still couldn't find them, panicked, called 911, called the neighbors to all start searching and finally found them at K's house watching tv. Scared out of our minds for 17 minutes, that felt like 17 minutes underwater we got everyone to stand down. Yes, there were consequences at both houses.
Turns out that J & M hid in the bushes and for J, the poison ivy, watching and waiting for us to walk by so they could sneak back to play at M's house while the mom's walked.
The poison ivy has continued to spread all week and finally yesterday I made the call that we needed to take him in. It was popping out in places that couldn't possibly have been exposed nearly a week ago.
The doctor and I had differing opinions on how things were spreading, and I suppose his medical training is a little more solid than mine. So I followed his instructions which were to wash all the sheets and blankets. And to be sure that I washed all the clothes and towels too. Of course, because I didn't JUST do that.
So that's what I've been doing for the last three weeks. I suppose the good news is that I haven't had to beat the laundry on a rock down at the tank. But if one more person suggests I wash all the linens again, I just might scream.
The last load is away.
I'm holding my breath that nobody scratch or get an itch on anything... PLEASE.
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