Seeing the snow: "I need my snowman-suit."
Me: Do you want to get down, little man?
A: No, I not a man.
M: That's right, you're an Abel.
A: No, I not an Abel. I Sam Flynn.
(He's a little obsessed with "Tron Legacy.")
Abel's latest thing when he wants something someone else has is to claim, "He took it from me." Today he said this about a toy his brother had, even though I had been in the room and knew that Buster had it first. I replied, "No, Buster had it first."
"But I had it first, too!"
Monday, January 16, 2012
Friday, January 13, 2012
Hair cuts
Here is the promised picture of the girls with short hair. I really should post about our awesome Christmas, but I'm too busy today!
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
One Reason I Haven't Posted Lately
Ever notice how many unpleasant words there are in English that do contain just four letters? That must be where the phrase originated! Here in the Kendrick Nut House, we have discovered another four-letter word: L-I-C-E. That's right! Three girls with beautiful long hair must have been their dream. I haven't had much time with all the late nights nitpicking. Why am I posting this? Because I think I figured it out and want to share in case these dreaded pests ever come to infest your house and hair.
It all started about a month ago when my friend called to say that just days after her daughter came to play, she found lice. Honestly, I didn't take this warning as seriously as I should, which was my first mistake. A week or so later, as I was brushing Missy's hair for church, I saw bugs crawling in her hair. Ew!!! A quick check also revealed some in Sunny's hair. Kandy's beautiful thick hair seemed clear, fortunately. Ben went off to church with the boys. Kandy stayed home, and the girls watched movies while I dashed around looking for a non-pesticide lice treatment.
We tried lots of things. I did find a gel that kills the lice through dehydration and followed the directions perfectly. I washed everything in VERY hot water for over a week. We vacuumed beds and furniture and did everything just by the book. Except that I forgot to do a second nitpicking a week later. Oops! Mistake #2.
We had them on the run after that with frequent head checks and more laundry, but they didn't go away completely. I tried a few more things. Just over a week ago, I found bugs on Kandy's head. And after everything I had learned, this is what I did:
First of all, I chopped off her hair. Sunny had been shorn earlier that week, and she was all clear of lice. Although Missy had just one bug that night, I chopped hers off, too. Second, I went through her hair quickly with a Robicomb, which is worth every penny!!! (It costs the same as one or two boxes of lice treatment, and it is reusable because it just kills the lice with electric shocks. Awesome!) Second, I sprayed her hair with NeonNits. The directions say to leave it in and just try to brush it out, but I had learned with the other girls to do it differently. I sprayed her hair and then washed it out. The nits were all pink, and the hair was back to its real color. I blow dried her hair, and then I went through it tiny section by section, carefully nitpicking. We did vacuum beds again, but we didn't do all the laundry in the hot water. With the short hair, we have just used the Robicomb every day or two and done a quick look through their hair to make sure it's all clear. I have not found a single bug in Kandy's hair even once since this treatment.
Pictures of their haircuts will be forthcoming! So, if you ever have to deal with this monumental pest, skip the expensive pesticides, and just buy the Robicomb (we even found it in the store) and the NeonNits. (I actually still have lots of this left!) In summary:
1. Cut the hair short. It may cause everyone a little grief, but it makes it so much easier! Our boys have NEVER had any lice.
2. Go through with the Robicomb.
3. Spray on the NeonNits.
4. Wash it out.
5. Nitpick carefully, pulling out every pink egg.
6. Kill the lice on cloth items. Vacuum beds and wash sheets in very hot water. Put away stuffed animals or wash/dry them at high temperatures. (The second time, I just tossed them in the dryer at high heat for 30 minutes.) If that is too scary, put them in a plastic bag for 10 days to two weeks. Without a human host, the lice will all die.
7. Check for lice every 2-3 days, both with the Robicomb and visually.
8. Keep doing this for at least 2 weeks after the last bug or nit is found.
I sincerely hope you never have to use this information. Lice are a major pain in the backside!
It all started about a month ago when my friend called to say that just days after her daughter came to play, she found lice. Honestly, I didn't take this warning as seriously as I should, which was my first mistake. A week or so later, as I was brushing Missy's hair for church, I saw bugs crawling in her hair. Ew!!! A quick check also revealed some in Sunny's hair. Kandy's beautiful thick hair seemed clear, fortunately. Ben went off to church with the boys. Kandy stayed home, and the girls watched movies while I dashed around looking for a non-pesticide lice treatment.
We tried lots of things. I did find a gel that kills the lice through dehydration and followed the directions perfectly. I washed everything in VERY hot water for over a week. We vacuumed beds and furniture and did everything just by the book. Except that I forgot to do a second nitpicking a week later. Oops! Mistake #2.
We had them on the run after that with frequent head checks and more laundry, but they didn't go away completely. I tried a few more things. Just over a week ago, I found bugs on Kandy's head. And after everything I had learned, this is what I did:
First of all, I chopped off her hair. Sunny had been shorn earlier that week, and she was all clear of lice. Although Missy had just one bug that night, I chopped hers off, too. Second, I went through her hair quickly with a Robicomb, which is worth every penny!!! (It costs the same as one or two boxes of lice treatment, and it is reusable because it just kills the lice with electric shocks. Awesome!) Second, I sprayed her hair with NeonNits. The directions say to leave it in and just try to brush it out, but I had learned with the other girls to do it differently. I sprayed her hair and then washed it out. The nits were all pink, and the hair was back to its real color. I blow dried her hair, and then I went through it tiny section by section, carefully nitpicking. We did vacuum beds again, but we didn't do all the laundry in the hot water. With the short hair, we have just used the Robicomb every day or two and done a quick look through their hair to make sure it's all clear. I have not found a single bug in Kandy's hair even once since this treatment.
Pictures of their haircuts will be forthcoming! So, if you ever have to deal with this monumental pest, skip the expensive pesticides, and just buy the Robicomb (we even found it in the store) and the NeonNits. (I actually still have lots of this left!) In summary:
1. Cut the hair short. It may cause everyone a little grief, but it makes it so much easier! Our boys have NEVER had any lice.
2. Go through with the Robicomb.
3. Spray on the NeonNits.
4. Wash it out.
5. Nitpick carefully, pulling out every pink egg.
6. Kill the lice on cloth items. Vacuum beds and wash sheets in very hot water. Put away stuffed animals or wash/dry them at high temperatures. (The second time, I just tossed them in the dryer at high heat for 30 minutes.) If that is too scary, put them in a plastic bag for 10 days to two weeks. Without a human host, the lice will all die.
7. Check for lice every 2-3 days, both with the Robicomb and visually.
8. Keep doing this for at least 2 weeks after the last bug or nit is found.
I sincerely hope you never have to use this information. Lice are a major pain in the backside!
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Sweet Afternoon
This afternoon I didn't go to work because Missy had stayed home with a stomach ache. (I detest stomach aches--it's such a non-specific symptom!) Anyway, as I was tucking the boys in for their nap, Abel said "I love you" for the first time. Both boys were sleeping on the floor so much that we took out the crib and toddler bed, laying their mattresses side by side on the floor. Buster asked me to snuggle with him. I laid down between them.
"Mommy," Buster said, "did you take your shoes off?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Because my feet will be cold."
"Use a blanket."
"I don't have a blanket."
"You can use my car blanket!"
I obligingly kicked off my shoes and snuggled my legs in his car blanket. He was not willing to share his pillow, however, so I went and grabbed my own.
We chatted for a few minutes about random things, and then one by one, we drifted off to sleep. Well, Abel and I did! When my timer went off 20 minutes later, Buster was still awake. I left him, though, to go accomplish things in the quiet house.
I could have not have better spent that half hour, though. I love snuggling my little people, and it is always a miracle the first time they say "I love you!"
"Mommy," Buster said, "did you take your shoes off?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Because my feet will be cold."
"Use a blanket."
"I don't have a blanket."
"You can use my car blanket!"
I obligingly kicked off my shoes and snuggled my legs in his car blanket. He was not willing to share his pillow, however, so I went and grabbed my own.
We chatted for a few minutes about random things, and then one by one, we drifted off to sleep. Well, Abel and I did! When my timer went off 20 minutes later, Buster was still awake. I left him, though, to go accomplish things in the quiet house.
I could have not have better spent that half hour, though. I love snuggling my little people, and it is always a miracle the first time they say "I love you!"
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Happy Halloween!
We had a great Halloween. We decided on a superhero theme. Buster was Iron Man, Abel was Captain America, Ben was Superman, I was Wonder Woman, Sunny was Spider-man, and Missy was She-Ra. (I made that costume. Thanks to my mom and Debi who helped me with finishing touches!) Kandy decided to be a 50s girl before we decided on the theme, so we fit her in by calling her the damsel in distress. After all, what are superheroes without a girl to save?
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