Trick or Treat, here's some Lice!

I've been eating sugar since November 1st!  

I'm disgusted with myself, but I couldn't handle the stress!

     Stressor 1:  LICE!  On Monday, Summer came home with a rash on her face and elbows.  The kids at schooled called her "Ugly" and "Diseased".  So of course, I told her she didn't have to go back to school until the rash went away.  By Thursday, it covered her whole body.  I decided it was time to suck up the "no health insurance" plan of Nathan's, and take Summer into the walk-in clinic.  The doctor thought Summer's rash looked like Scarlet Fever, so he did some blood work.  One hundred and ninety-five dollars later, the prognosis was an unexplained rash, not Scarlet Fever. She did get a prescription for antibiotics out of it.  As the doctor continued to talk, I noticed something moving on Summer's scalp!  A bug. I flicked it away.  Then saw another, and another, and another.  I rudely interrupted the doctor, "What is that?" pointing at her head.  He laughed.  "Oh, it's an Uku (ooh-koo)".  From the tone of his voice, it sounded like Uku was nothing to be panicked about.  "It's quite common here" he continued, "you might know it as Lice."
     LICE!  My head started spinning, and pounding - my worst nightmare come true!  No, no, no!  This can't be happening!  Summer has been using my brush for over a month!  I quickly left the doctors office, racing towards Longs Drugs with 2 prescriptions: Antibiotics, and Lice shampoo.  The pharmacist informed me that they were out of the Lice treatment.  They called around to other pharmacies - everyone was out!  Panic!  It would be months before they had some again!  No, no, no!  "but you can try the stuff over there on the bottom shelf".  Yes!  I grabbed (not joking) the last box.  30 mins later, both treatments were started.  Also...LAUNDRY WEEK began !

This is what Uku look like with a magnifying glass

     I put the shampoo in Summer's hair.  Towel-dryed it, cut the long hair off (Summer was angry about that), and started combing.  There were hundreds!  Hundreds of adult lice!  How did this happen?  It was as if she had a bucket of lice dropped on her head.  It takes 1 lice, 3 weeks to achieve adulthood and sexual maturity.  The eggs (nits) hatch in 5-10 days.  To have hundreds in her hair, they would have had to arrive in her rat's nest the moment we stepped foot in Hawaii.  I'm getting nauseous just thinking about it again.  After 4 hours, I had managed to remove eggs from a small chunk of hair, 1 cm in diameter.  I began the hysterical crying tantrum.  I can't do this!  It's too hard!  I need help!  Another 2 hours went by, and I just had to stop. My nerves were fried; I had no good light; Summer had fallen asleep on the chair.

That's her with the shower cap on...trying to contain it from spreading to brother

     Stressor 2:  WE MOVED!  On Halloween morning, I moved us from our rental to our fixer upper home.  My husband was at work, so I didn't have his help.  I finished moments before having to dress and make-up a scarecrow, gypsy, corpse bride, and transformer.  Next we tried to figure out where to go trick or treating in a new town.  First, we headed to Wal-Mart for guaranteed goodies.  A homeless person pushing a cart, dribbled a handful of unwrapped M&M's into Summer's hand.  YUCK! As soon as she was out of sight, I smacked them to the ground and lectured the kids on saying no to unwrapped candy.
     Then we went to a Haunted House (Alice in Wonderland themed) at the local KTA.  I won't lie- it scared a bit of pee out of me :(
     Finally, we went to a parking lot where there was suppose to be a trunk or treat....nobody showed up.  Now we are stuck with 4 boxes of Choco-Pie.

Yes, we've already eaten one box.

     In a last desperate attempt, we went to a few random houses (with lots of lights on) behind the parking lot.  The kids came home with enough loot, that everywhere I looked, there was candy scattered across the floor.  I went back to the rental to finish moving the real food.

     Stressor 3:  CLEANING!  The next morning, I arised bright and early to go back to the rental to clean it.  I hate cleaning, especially when the house wasn't clean when we rented it. But I will do what it takes to get our damage deposit back.  After 6 hours, the house was sparkling, and I arrive home to find a text message from the Landlord reminding us that he hadn't billed us for electrical yet.  Bye, bye damage deposit :(
     The new house has cement floors, no working sink, and one functioning bathroom without a door on it.  I had to do our dishes in the bathtub.  I would just let them pile up until the dishwasher is installed but then we would have an infestation of bugs on our hands.  And fire ants are worst then mosquitos- you can't stop them from getting into your home.

Front yard:  not in too bad shape

The back yard needs some work

    Stressor 4:  More Lice combing!  After the first discovery, a few days prior, everyone got their heads checked for lice.  Miraculously, I couldn't find it on anyone else.  My head felt unusually itchy, so paranoid me shampooed my hair for peace of mind.  But I did find one on Rebekah, and the combing started all over.  I am still checking hair daily.  I've combed and picked eggs out of hair for more than 15 hours.  The eggs are so small, I'm not sure if I will ever successfully get them all out.  That is an awful thought to live with.  Shaking!

Summer's new, lice free hair style.  And our red neck, lawn chair living room.

     So yes!  I helped myself to many mini-chocolate bars!  I needed to.  I wasn't able to do any exercise or nature meditation.  It was my only choice.  The sugar is what got me thru it!


Saturday's weight in:

Down 3 pounds in 2 weeks, just by changing my diet.
Of course, after this weeks chocolate rampage, I'm probably up 4.

 Healthy snack of the day:

Avocado with tomato on whole wheat toast