Good Times Here.

Our Thanksgiving was delightful, full of family and delicious food.  I enjoyed the Thanksgiving holiday until approximately 1pm on Saturday when Caroline started screaming that Ben's head was bleeding.  After almost 6.5 years of intensity, Caroline's screaming doesn't usually ramp up my adrenaline level, but the mention of blood is surprisingly effective at doing that.  So, I sprinted upstairs to find that Ben had somehow managed to gouge his head on the corner of Caroline's dresser.  After wiping away all the blood, I was relieved to find out that the cut was short in length (only a centimeter). But, it was deep and I knew it needed a stitch or two. Fortunately, Scott was at home, so I didn't have to bring the entire clan on the medical expedition, but Abby volunteered to keep Ben company.  I packed some dye-free lollipops and the insurance card.  Off we trooped to the pediatrician first, with the hopes they could do one stitch, but they couldn't (boo!), so we ended up in the ER where Ben was able to get "glued" instead of stapled, and all was well. The glue will fall off/dissolve within a week. He was a trooper.

I'm happy to report that we had an incident free Sunday.  It is a day of rest, after all.

On Monday morning around 8am, I was putting Caroline's hair into ponytails, as I have been doing for over a month since there are lice at school.  And, much to my horror, I noticed there were brownish-black circular things distributed all over her scalp.  Dirt doesn't usually ramp up my adrenaline level either, but brownish-black dots that look alarmingly like nits are as effective as the mention of blood. It took about 2 seconds to go from normal morning parenting mood (all business) to shear dread about how many loads of laundry I'd have to do, which neighbors I'd have to call since Caroline played with them, etc., etc.  So, I put Abby on the bus, and told Caroline we'd deal with her hair after that.  I thought there was a chance some of the brown stuff wasn't lice since she had been tree climbing, so I gave her a bath after the bus came and scrubbed her head.  Some of the black things came out, but most didn't and they were definitely sticking to her scalp. We dropped Ben off to school, and then visited Caroline's school nurse for a consult.  I was overjoyed (as was the nurse) to find out they were not lice, but we still aren't sure what the dots were.  I picked each and every little sticky black thing out of her hair (which was a joy), and off she went to school (late, but lice-free).

So, that was an exciting start to the week. 

Oh, then it got a little more exciting when Ben threw up all over the carpet this morning.

Ugh.

What are the chances that Ben will be the only one with a stomach virus this week?