I have taken an unintended break from blogging recently because I couldn't find anything that topped midget wrestling. There are only so many things in life that do, after all. Little did I know that God had a life curve ball planned. Notice I say "life curve ball" because this was most definitely a life changing experience.
A few weeks ago I travelled home to Albany for the weekend to get some family time in. It was a normal Friday in the aspect that I could not wait to see my sweet niece Abigail! My mom and I went over to Kelly's house to hang out with her and Abigail after Kelly got off work and Abby got home from school. Abigail and I did what we usually do, which consists of her pulling me by my pointer finger around the house and backyard. We played on the swing set, and then we jammed to music in the car in the driveway, while punching other buttons and closing the garage door on top of Kelly's car. Normal friday, right?
Well, Abigail soon exhausted me, so Mom and I went home to have a chill Friday night in p.j.'s. Right when we got home, I went upstairs to get comfortable, but it wasn't even ten minutes before Mom was calling me back downstairs. She quickly reenacted a phone call that just happened with my sister that began with the question, "Mom, what do lice look like?"
I knew we were doomed before Mom even finished the story. Talk about feeling defeated.
So, Mom and I rushed to Rite Aid to buy all of the lice medicine, shampoo, and spray- really we bought anything that said "Lice Removal" or "Anti-Lice." Have I mentioned we spent $110? Yes, $110 on lice removal supplies. Overboard? I think not.
We sped from Rite Aid to Kelly's. For some reason, they turned to me as the lice removal expert. I'm not really sure why- maybe because I had just quickly read over 78947123874983 websites describing removal strategies or maybe it was because I stayed 837402837423 times calmer than any of my other family members. I immediately put my attention on Abigail. We played "Beauty Shop" like big girls do. While the shampoo sat in Abby's hair, Kelly asked me to check her scalp to ensure she didn't have it. Well, I took the purple comb and looked through Kelly's hair. Of course, she had it. "Crap," I thought. I knew she would freak out. Who wouldn't?! I tried to downplay it as much as possible...didn't work. She spazzed out. So, Abigail watched her Mama and Aunt Yaya play beauty shop.
While the shampoo (or insecticide, depending on how you look at it) sat on Kelly's head, I rinsed Abby. Then, came the best part- combing. Oh wow, this is exactly how I had planned to spend that Friday night! Never mind, dinner at The Catch and a dirty martini. No, Laura! You get to be Head Lice Remover! YES! (Insert fist pump here.)
I finally rinsed Kelly and began the lice combing process on her, when we realize maybe we should check Mom. Mom spends every morning with Abigail, so we needed to make sure she didn't have the little bugs either. Uh oh! Mom failed the test too. She was devastated. She has never had lice in her life, and now, she got it from her granddaughter. Abby got to watch Mimi get beautified as well.
My next victim was Matt. As you can imagine, Matt was a lice victim as well. Never did I think I would have to put lice shampoo and/or comb dead lice out of my brother in law's hair. So, in the Carr/Lane household, we had a total of 4 cases. Thank goodness dogs can't get lice!! While the lice plague had not yet spread to me, I proceeded to put the removal shampoo in my hair regardless. I wasn't taking any chances.
In addition to the shampoo treatments and combing, we had to wash sheets, nap mats, blankets, rugs, clothes, etc. on hot water. Anything that couldn't be washed had to be sprayed down. What an exhausting ordeal! I know this is such a gross story, but it is certainly one we can laugh at now. Sometimes we just have to laugh at life's curve balls to even get through them. We have been lice free since that night! Hooray! Fingers crossed I don't ever have to deal with that again!
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| This is from our car jam session on Friday. Look at that smile- "I'm smiling so big because Aunt Yaya doesn't know I have lice yet...haha!" |
