Blessings in Disguise

So, as you all know, we're mired in this quagmire of a battle between us and the bugs. I think we're winning, but it's really hard to tell, and we probably won't know for at least a week.

What amazes me is how much it's drawn us together as a family. Weef and I are constantly doing laundry, washing, conditioning and combing hair (except not mine; I'm baby-butt bald), bagging toys, boiling combs, vacuuming anywhere the girls sit for longer than 30 seconds, spraying down bedding, couches, chairs, etc ... it's a never-ending battle.

We're now starting day 6 of what I've termed "Hell Week", though I'm fairly certain that might have to be broadened to "Month." We'll see. Anyway, at the beginning of the day, like any other day, the girls come plodding downstairs and bemoan their hunger status. I get some food in their little bellies (eventually), then wait for Lori to wake up. At that point, we start planning out the day--who's going to do what and when. I've been on hair patrol the entire time: sifting through the girls' hair (all 3 of them), washing, using what I consider to be useless ointment to try to kill the bugs and eggs ... it just doesn't work. We've applied 4 treatments to each of the girls, none of which have worked worth a hill of beans. We did some online reading and found some home remedies that seem to be working better. If you apply white conditioner with extreme liberty to dry hair, it seems to suffocate the bugs and they come running to the "surface," allowing us to simply comb them out. This method does NOT kill the eggs, though. For that, you have to pour vinegar over the hair and let it sit. That loosens the eggs, then you can use a nit comb to pull out the eggs.

But I digress. My point of this blog is how well we've all bonded over this. The girls have been such troopers, especially girl 1. She is definitely ground zero for the infestation. She sits so patiently (most of the time) while we go through her hair for literally hours a day. She does whimper on occasion about how she wants to watch another show or something, or that we're pulling too hard on her hair, or scraping her poor little scalp with the comb, but overall, she's been a champ and a half.

Weef and I just laugh. Or cry. Or stare in horrific disbelief at the sheer magnitude of everything. But we shake it off and trudge along, trying to keep each others' spirits uplifted and bolstered.

Girl 2 ... what a ham. As long as she's awake, she'll find some way to entertain herself. She's been noticeably attention-starved a couple of times, at which point we'll take a small break to play with her and let her know that we're not intentionally ignoring her. For example, yesterday she was noticeably feisty and smacking weef's leg and smiling that impish grin that says, "Ha ha. You're looking at me. I'm getting attention." Weef was displeased, but completely understood. As I was already sitting at the computer, checking in on work to make sure I'm getting updates on what needs to be done, I said, "C'mere, you. Let's look at some pictures." She came bounding over with such joy and a smile to die for ... "YAY!!" She climbed up on my lap and I showed her pictures of our family. She pointed out everyone and everything--people, pets, toys ... it was so cute.

What I've had reinforced to me during this whole sad ordeal is just how much my family means to me. I'd be nothing without them. They are my world. Friends are definitely important, and work is necessary, but they can't ever take the place of my little family.

I love you, weef and girls!!