to a louse...

Great poem, but you don't have to read it. Scroll down for my notes...

To a Louse
Robert Burns
(On seeing a louse on a lady's bonnet at church!)

Ha! whare ye gaun, ye crowlin ferlie!
Your impudence protects you sairly:
I canna say but ye strunt rarely
Owre gauze and lace;
Tho' faith, I fear ye dine but sparely
On sic a place.

Ye ugly, creepin, blastit wonner,
Detested, shunned by saunt an' sinner,
How daur ye set your fit upon her,
Sae fine a lady!
Gae somewhere else and seek your dinner,
On some poor body.

Swith, in some beggar's haffet squattle;
There ye may creep, and sprawl, and sprattle
Wi' ither kindred, jumpin cattle,
In shoals and nations;
Whare horn or bane ne'er daur unsettle
Your thick plantations.

Now haud ye there, ye're out o' sight,
Below the fatt'rels, snug an' tight;
Na faith ye yet! ye'll no be right
Till ye've got on it,
The vera tapmost, towering height
O' Miss's bonnet.

My sooth! right bauld ye set your nose out,
As plump an' grey as onie grozet:
O for some rank, mercurial rozet,
Or fell, red smeddum,
I'd gie ye sic a hearty dose o't,
Wad dress your droddum!

I wad na been surprised to spy
You on an auld wife's flainen toy;
Or aiblins some bit duddie boy,
On's wyliecoat;
But Miss's fine Lunardi!—fie!
How daur ye do't?

O Jenny, dinna toss your head,
An' set your beauties a' abread!
Ye little ken what cursed speed
The blastie's makin!
Thae winks and finger-ends, I dread,
Are notice takin!

O, wad some Power the giftie gie us
To see oursels as others see us!
It wad frae monie a blunder free us
An' foolish notion:
What airs in dress an' gait wad lea'e us,
And ev'n Devotion!

So last week was Burns supper night, thus the ever so appropriate poem, and I discovered that all 4 kids have/had lice! It is so yuck. After two treatments in 2 days, still half of my children have a few tiny lice that I, as mother monkey, pick out. After washing everything and becoming experts on head lice removal I am ok with the few that remain. My head itches incessantly. I have treated myself and Rich and we check each other's heads, but so far have been pronounced clean. We'll be doing treatment no. 3 for all next week. I had three extra kids the weekend before the discovery and dreaded telling the moms. I was so surprised when each told me that their kids had it too! Not really, but they told me that it wasn't the first time and one mom said that she keeps a special comb by the tub for nit removal at every bath. Great.

I have been feeling a little guilty that I don't read as much to Paris as I did the rest and over Christmas was worrying that she was never going to be able to read- bad mom syndrome... Well the first week back to school she started writing and writing. Lists and cards and everything and I bought two little easy readers and she reads! Such relief! She is on track... no thanks to me unless my genes count for something. Thank you teachers at school. (I do read to her, just not as much as I did to the others). So Poor Paris, as the baby does get special treatment. The other day she would not eat salad or something so I fed her at her request- it is a bit of a joke because she know that I'll give her giant bites and it will take 2 where as when she does it, it takes way to long, but as she opened big, I freaked out because she had her big teeth coming in on the bottom row! A little baby shark! She told me her teeth were loose, but I didn't think so- well that night she pulled her first tooth out. She was so brave. The tooth fairy even remembered to visit.

So last weekend when we had all the extra kids, for breakfast one said he wanted soda. Well we had sparkling water and juice, so I told them all to cast a spell and make soda (Leif and his best friend are witches). The friend quickly cast his spell, "tick tock make it cock". (Coke) Love the Glaswegian accent. I started giggling, so did another little older, American friend/kid who was over. Rich then cast his, "Fire and smoke turn to coke". Magically the sparkling water and juice came together.