Uninvited guests

You know, it's really ironic that my April fools joke to the kids dealt with bugs.  Because just three days later I found the plague in little g's hair.  I'm talking lice.  Then I looked at S's hair and discovered eggs.  I ran and got the phone and called my mom, and cried.  We had dealt with this eight years ago when I was pregnant with little g, so I knew what was in store.  I was completely overwhelmed.  The house would have to be torn to shreds, loads and loads of laundry done, things bagged for weeks, hours spent going through hair, shampoos bought, possible haircuts, etc.  And the thought, the thought of getting my hair checked.  That was a huge worry since eight years ago D tried looking through my hair while watching ESPN.  Doesn't really work you know?  I hung up the phone, wiped away my tears knowing that they wouldn't help rid me of the problem, called the kids down for a meeting and got to work.  G and J went around the house and tore apart all eight beds and dropped down every ounce of bedding to the tile in a huge pile for me to wash.  They then gathered all blankets from around the house and added them to the pile.  They bagged up decorative pillows, play pillows, and stuffed animals and threw them out in the garage for the next few weeks.  I told them that they were in charge of laundry and that they needed to have the washer going for the rest of the night while I went through hair.

D got home and found me out back on the couch going through S's hair.  I told him the situation and he quickly headed to CVS to buy lice killing shampoo and came back with an arm full of products for which I was very grateful.  I continued to go through hair with a pair of tweezers in hand, eyes peeled, ready to remove any bug or egg I might have seen.  I found myself laughing and smiling.  I could still remain happy and find joy in my life despite having what could so easily have thrown me into a frenzy.  I spent a few hours that night going through hair removing our uninvited guests.  While laundry was still being done and after I had gone through everyone's hair, I did haircuts on the four boys.  I washed the children's hair in the kitchen sink where I could make sure it was done properly.  The big boys ran around the house spraying the furniture with lice killing spray.  The laundry continued to run.

I texted a friend saying that I wouldn't be over the next day for my so desperately needed hair appointment.  She asked what was up knowing I needed that appointment and things just kept falling through every time I thought I was going to get my hair done.  I told her that I had discovered lice in the kids hair.  After validating  the situation, she offered to come look at my hair.  I couldn't believe it.  I was so grateful.  My mom had offered to come down the following day to help me and go through my hair.  But I feel like I'm the needy child so I didn't want to need my mom.  I wanted to be able to do this without my mom.  I wanted to prove to myself that I could go through something difficult without her.  I knew right away that I was given this blessing and tender mercy.  My friend would be over at nine in the morning.

As it approached nine o'clock that night, we had no beds for anyone to sleep in.  I called my neighbor Gail and asked her if I could do some laundry.  I raced back and forth to her house until midnight doing five loads of wash down there.  At 10:30 we got the little kids to bed on a clean mattress cover and a blanket from out in the garage.  Everyone was in bed, or on a bed, by 11:30, except for me.  I continued to do laundry until 3:30 that morning and then slept on the leather couch since my hair hadn't been checked.  I found myself praying a prayer of gratitude.  I was so grateful that I had been able to smile and even giggle that evening, I was grateful for my children's help, I was grateful for D's help, I was grateful for my neighbor and that I was able to do some laundry down there, I was grateful for my friend that would be over in a few hours, I was grateful for all that I had learned in the last six weeks regarding my Heavenly Father's love for me, grateful, SO grateful that I hadn't discovered this while going through my anxiety.  I was so full of gratitude.  I had been so productive and had accomplished so much more that evening than I ever thought I could have.

I didn't waste any time once I woke up Friday morning, and called the carpet cleaners I've used for ten years and begged them to fit me in that day so that I could have any and every possible bug and egg burned to death and then sucked up and out of here.  They were here in the next hour.

The next few days were filled with the same routine.  I did over thirty five loads of laundry, I spent hours each day going through hair, my friend came over three days to check my hair, I washed, I sprayed, I prayed.  I continued to be grateful, recognizing the Lord's love for me.  And I knew, I knew my parents had been praying for me.

Grateful I've gotten rid of the uninvited guests!

*And for the record....we do not go through this every year according to one source.  Let's get our stories straight!  haha

**And...haha....do you know how hard it was to buzz little g's head?  Hard in the sense knowing that Crazy Hair Day was just a week away.  I've got a reputation to keep and now I've got to get really creative.