the best of times

I thought about the title of this post for a long time. Like, a really long time. I also thought about the story arch that this post was going to take. My fake-grant was reviewed in my fake-study section today and I got accused of writing the "slow reveal" which is not what you want someone to write about your grant. Blog post, on the other hand...

Ok. so.

I used to think that the reason two people are parents is because kids are so amazing and full of love that you need a partner in order to share the love and constant wonder that is having a kid. Blahblahblah all fine and dandy.

It turns out, the real reason that two people are supposed to be parents is because KIDS ARE SO RIDICULOUS and one person CANNOT HANDLE THE RIDICULOUSNESS that is a kid.

Which is how I found myself at 6 pm, driving across town with a bottle of wine in the dark, to have a friend check Lena and me for lice.

I learned so much about lice tonight, it's not even funny. It turns out you don't need all the fancy medicine crap. There's a couple urban myths about lice, you don't need to sanitize all stuffed animals: lice only lives for about 24 hours when unattached to a head. Also they don't shed that often--if they're happy they're nicely attached to the scalp. Oh and people say that there are more lice around the hairline but really that's just where it's easiest to see them and I AM SO UP ON MY LICE FACTS. And you know what really helps? A really really good friend.

I used to think that being a parent was so lonely. In fact, many a blog post has been written about how isolating I found the early days of parenthood. But now I'm finally finally finding my place. My community. I've always been so slow to make friends, but I did it. Lena having lice could have been the worst. It could have been agonizing and isolating and horrible, but it wasn't. It was almost...fun! While Jenny was combing through my hair checking me for lice, she said, "Did you ever imagine when we met all those years ago, it would come to this?" Above and beyond, these friends, above and beyond. The best of times. the best of times!

Although right now I am in bed with a sleeping bag because I am boiling all of the sheets and comforters...because even if science says I don't need to worry that much...it's lice. Gross.