Unwanted visitors!

So, last for the last few weeks we have had some visitors. I think they are finally gone. At least we haven't seen any in a week or so. I think it is finally time to blog about it. We have been warring with lice. Yes, it is a horrible little creature. I am sure the Lord had a good reason for creating it, but I am not a friend of the louse. 

Here are the things I have learned. I hope it saves you some time and energy if you should ever encounter the critter.

1. When a child is scratching their head and complaining about it itching, it is most likely lice. Always check for lice when you see your child scratch their head.

2. If you have a preschooler/kindergartner, educate them about lice. Teach them to not share hats, dress up clothes, hair ties, sweat shirts, etc. 

3. If you have a child in daycare or school, do random head checks. The quicker you find them the easier your life will be.

4. Buy your children their own brush or comb. Don't wait until they have lice. It is probably too late for you.

5. When you find the bug on a family member's head, immediately stop what you are doing and check everyone in the family.

6. Treat everyone's head whether you find something or not. (Please note here that pregnant women should not handle the lice killing shampoo.) Retreat as directed.

7. There are three main stages. Nits are the eggs of the louse. Nymphs are the babies and teenagers. Then you have an adult louse.

8. Proper and effective nit picking is ESSENTIAL to ridding you and your family of this critter. Don't rely upon the little comb to get the nits off. Use your finger nails to pluck them off and drown the lice or nits in water. It takes about an hour to thoroughly nit pick someone's head. 

9. Nit pick everyone's head everyday until you don't find any more nits, nymphs or lice. Then continue to nit pick everyone's head everyday until you don't find anything for several consecutive days. Then check (meaning part the hair and look at several spots at nap and crown) everyone's head everyday for the next few weeks. It sounds like a bit much if you've never encountered lice, but TRUST ME. It is worth the time.

10. If you get to the point of wanting to shave your own head, you are probably finally motivated enough to follow #9 precisely. 

11. If you are vacuuming every nook and cranny of your house then you aren't focusing enough attention on where the bugs live. That would be your head and the heads of your family members.

12. A plastic two liter soda bottle filled with a quart of water and 1/4 cup of bleach is a good way to clean combs, brushes, hair ties, etc.  I do not recommend the boiling water method. It melts the glue, plastic and rubber that these products are made with.

13. Lice like clean hair.

14. If your children have lice, don't hug them in such a way that their hair might come in contact with your. Duh!

If you want to learn even more, here is one of the more helpful sites I found. Lice aren't nice.

I hope this is of benefit to someone out there. Is your head itching yet? 

Spring time

I know everyone in the country isn't enjoy spring quite yet, but maybe these photos will bring hope to those of you who are still freezing. I love Alabama in the spring. It is like pleasant New England summers. Cool nights, warm days and fresh air blowing through the house. Ahhhh!

This is our home and our beautiful flowers. Photo booth didn't do the flowers justice. They are really very beautiful. (Yes, still without a camera. Note: Photo Booth flips the image, so the drive is actually on the left side of our home.)

Our garden. Isn't it the epitome of a bountiful garden? Okay, we haven't planted yet, but we have tilled it twice and added horse manure. Aren't you proud of me? We will plant cabbage, cherry tomatoes, regular tomatoes, green beans, purple hull peas, cucumbers, butternut squash, yellow squash and maybe zucchini. What are your favorite veggies to grow? Any tips for me? I need all the help I can get.

My office

Well, I couldn't wait any longer. I used my computer to take pictures of my office. Paul helped me get it all fixed up on his birthday earlier this month, and I am really enjoying it. I think he may regret it a little. I use it to hide from him and the children. Ha ha!

This is an angled view from the doorway into my office. My father-in-law gave me the beautiful old oak desk (it weighs a ton). It reminds me of the furniture Grandpa and Grandma W had in their home. As you can see there is still clutter to be removed, but I love it!

This is my sewing area. It is actually to the left as you walk into my office. It is a super fancy kitchen counter top Paul's coworker was replacing. It sits on top of two filing cabinets. I wouldn't trade it. Well, maybe I would, but I am so grateful to be able to sit down and sew without having to move everything from room to room. Notice the shelving my sweetheart put up for me on his birthday. I love being able to see my books. How inspiring!

This is one of two shelves. No those aren't for snacking on while I work! It is part of our food storage efforts. Sam's Club really liked us that day.