My nephew has been staying with us for a couple of weeks now, and is staying for a couple more. He is my youngest daughter’s age, and a little fireball of a kid. On most days, the girls and him get along famously. But after fourteen days straight of being together, well, let’s just say they are getting a little testy.
First of all, there is that whole threesome (no, not the dirty kind- get your head out of the gutter, please) dynamic. I know about this because I am the eldest of three sisters close in age. Throughout the years, one could observe subtle shifts in the relationship wave. Sometimes the curve leaned heavily toward the youngest of the family, sometimes the opposite, sometimes the oldest and the youngest would be closer than the middle one. These were subtle little changes that would register only as slight arcs on a seismograph. Still, they were there. And always, always there would be one sister who would be bridging the gap.
Now with the two girls, it is pretty simple. They are either getting along or they are not. But with three, somebody can feel left out, feel like they are not integral to the group-, like they are not being listened to and that their opinion doesn’t count. Of course, when you are seven, this is not exactly verbal. It usually just sounds like stomping feet, a few primal screams, a door slamming and a dramatic flopping down on the bed in order to engage in a Hollywood worthy sobfest. So what do we do? Yes folks, the traditional, has functioned ever since the cro-magnon had to stick their kids in another part of the cave, time out!
And a lot of whiskey. Always a lot of whiskey. Not for the kids, of course. I would never do that…
Oh, and as for the parasites camping out on my head: I did the second treatment yesterday and my husband says he didn’t see a thing on my head- could I be clear? The kids lice seemed to have gone… perhaps we are out of the woods? Am I jinxing it with such positive thinking? Time will tell…
Oh, and a note for all people who use Resultz- my head feels like I haven’t washed it for two weeks, it is so greasy. I went to work yesterday and my hair looked like it stayed wet all day. Mortifying and gross. The fun never stops around here. Really.
Lina Branter 