The Potato is sick again. I had to leave for work really early yesterday morning (try 6:30 a.m.), and at about 8:30, landisdad called to tell me that the Potato was sick, and couldn’t go to school. He puked a couple of times yesterday, and spent most of the day dozing on our bed with a fever that fluctuated between 104 and 100. Last night, he went to bed early, and he came into our room and crawled into bed with us at around 4:30 or 5 a.m.

At breakfast time, he was hungry, so I took him downstairs to get something to eat.

When I found a louse on his head.

Sigh.

About three days ago, the daycare sent a note home saying that a kid there had lice, and I’ve been suspicious ever since. He’s been scratching his head a lot, and sure enough, we have an outbreak on our hands. And did I mention the amount of time he spent sleeping in our bed?

So we spent the whole day washing every piece of his bedding in hot water. And giving him a buzz cut. And washing his hair with lice shampoo. And combing it with the nit comb. And praying that the Bee does not get lice.

The Bee, who has waist-length hair. The Bee, who screams when her hair is brushed with a wide-toothed brush. The Bee, who is feeling resentful of her brother lately, and will not take it at all well if he gives her lice.

Also, is it itchy in here, or is it just me?

So the rest of the family prophylactically shampooed with the lice shampoo too. And we washed our bedding too. Including the pillows.

One of the first mommyblogs I ever read was Suburban Bliss, and one of the first things I remember her writing about was her war against the lice, and the vat of mayonnaise that she bought as a weapon in that war. I don’t want a vat of mayonnaise. Please send lice-killing thought waves our way.

Edited to add: And of course–while on its ninth or tenth laundry load of the day, our washing machine overflowed. Flooding the basement. Which we just had re-carpeted last week after our most recent flood.

I’m not in love with March so far.