Big Fat Hairy Orchid  by alophoto

Big Fat Hairy Orchid

Oh man, have I been through the wringer the past day or so.

Yesterday, son was staying home sick for school and middle daughter was about to get on the bus. I helped her brush her hair out quickly and saw a bug, then another, then another. Her head was hopping with lice (is your skin crawling? Mine is!!).

So I spent the whole day yesterday treating all of our heads to be safe. We wore shower caps with the killing shampoo on our heads ALL DAY LONG as per the doctor's advice nurse. We looked like a bunch of freaks, but the kids wouldn't allow me to take a photo of us in our freakdom. They said that they didn't want to remember that moment. I said we'd look back on it and find it hilarious. They didn't agree.

And the rest of my day was spent running laundry, stripping beds, spraying everything, helping the kids bag up their stuffed animals.

I was still washing my bedding at 1 am and finally gave up and crashed on the couch.

I had my mom come over and help me comb through my hair. As she did it I said, "Mom, aren't you glad we aren't monkeys or you would be eating everything you pull out." So grateful to have a helpful and willing mom...one who will pick bugs out of her grown daughter's head.

My hands are cracked and bleeding, the huge mountains of laundry are still there but dwindling, I'm exhausted from a crappy night's sleep. What a big pain in the life.

But, today is better. And this flower is pretty. Wonder if it can get nits in it's hair though? If it did, I'd just walk on by. I'm done with nits, though I have to probably keep checking and picking for the next week or so.

Off to clean some more and then crash.

May you and yours never have to deal with louse.
You sound exhauste. Get some rest when you can
March 3rd, 2015  
Fabulous light and focus.
March 3rd, 2015  
Poor you. It seemed to be a non-stop problem for me when my daughter was young. One of her best friends had very long, thick hair and I think she constantly had them, so as soon as I get rid of them we were re-infected.
March 3rd, 2015  
Wow! What a lousy story!
March 3rd, 2015  
Blimey that sounds exhausting!!! Lovely orchid
March 3rd, 2015  
this is beautiful
March 3rd, 2015  
Well it is a pretty flower ;-) Good Lord, that sounds an awful day. Glad I never had to go through that. The only bugs I tolerate are crickets, damsel flys, praying mantis and sometimes bees. The rest? Keep them away from me!
March 3rd, 2015  
Gorgeous orchid!! Now I feel all itchy having read your story!! Head lice is rife in the schools - and they love the clean heads!!
March 3rd, 2015  
Oh, Lordy, that just completely stinks. So sorry! Not an unusual thing, though, with littler kids. The fact that your flower has hair is kind of amusing, in a pretty way, but don't comb it out! Hang in there.
March 3rd, 2015  
It really IS hairy! So funny combination of gentleness, perfection and... hair! Love it!
March 3rd, 2015  
Super capture of this beautiful orchid ! Sorry that you have been so frazzled !! I am sure you will get on top of this little problem soon !!
March 3rd, 2015  
Beautiful
March 3rd, 2015  
Beautiful details and colors in this orchid photo. A bit of pretty to lighten your day (at least a little bit). LIce--it's a nightmare and I've been there. When my daughter was in Kindergarten she was in a music program singing on stage with her classmates and I noticed her scratching her head--again and again. I dreaded to look but, when I looked---Lice. Oh no! It is indeed a nightmare situation with the whole family needing the shampoo and etc, etc. The worst is behind you!
March 3rd, 2015  
@paulam May it be gone. I keep scrubbing and washing and praying!!! Thanks!
March 3rd, 2015  
Lovely light and colour.
March 3rd, 2015  
I'm exhausted just reading about your last 24 hours! I wouldn't be able to even find my camera, much less take a great capture like this! Hope you can have some relaxing time soon!
March 3rd, 2015  
Great shot, light, details, textures
March 3rd, 2015  
Excellent shot. The title told me it was yours. Bummer of an ordeal.
March 3rd, 2015  
here's hoping that the rest of your week is better!
March 3rd, 2015  
nice lighting on this. hope the worst is over and you're all on the "mend".
March 3rd, 2015  
Fabulous pov, color and detail. Looks like some exotic creature in flight!!
March 4th, 2015  
I had to deal with this same situation when my daughter was 5 and I had a new baby to deal with, too. No one told me I should treat her twice and so we wound up with them again. I feel for you but you seem to have maintained a bit of humor and things will get better. Lovely flower and thank goodness, no lice. Wishing you a better week.
March 4th, 2015  
Exquisite flowerQ Lovely textures
March 4th, 2015  
Amy
Fantastic
March 4th, 2015  
Oh geez what a nightmare that is. Hope your next days will be better Amanda. Lovely flower.
March 4th, 2015  
Sam
You deserve a medal for doing washing at 1am!
March 4th, 2015  
I remember those days. Lice is awful. Nice orchid.
March 4th, 2015  
So sorry this happened, Amanda. We were so lucky that our son did not get it but others did and we treated our family like others did, cleaned like you have and watched and shampooed. I sure hope this ends quickly and things get back to normal. Love your orchid photo.
March 5th, 2015  
Thanks my head is scratching....
It happens all the time, thanks God we didn't welcome lices for years now, but they liked my daughters when they were younger...
A tip a friend gave to me, If you have things you can clean with water, put them in a plastic bag, then in the frizzer for a day, the cold kill the lices...good luck, and pay attention this awful bugs love coming back....
March 5th, 2015  
Oh boy, good luck. Lovely photo, sorry you have to go through all of the cleaning. I am sure you have no extra time one your hands to start with and then have to deal with this.
March 6th, 2015  
@kt8ird Good bit is that my house (and hair) is very clean! Squeaky.
March 6th, 2015  
@amandal My head is itchy. What a pain for you to have to deal with, I can only imagine how busy you must be. Nice of your mom to help. Hopefully your cleaning chores will all be done for the weekend and you will get some down time!
March 6th, 2015  
Damn, I am so sorry for all that you have to go through....that sucks!! This, too shall pass....hang in there, even though by the sound of it you are hanging by a thread....but, you still managed to post!! Beautiful flower...happier days....spring is almost here!
March 6th, 2015  
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