After years of wading through military acronyms, I still get confused.  Here are a few tips on how to tell if you might be a military family …

… if your ETA is 17:30.
… if you skipped the annual tax-free weekend for back-to-school sales because the PX is tax-free year-round.
… if you have to show an ID to go grocery shopping.
… if you’ve spent more time away from your spouse than under the same roof.
… if your kids know more country capitals than state capitals.
… if the Rear Det CPT is POC of the RFO for your TDY.
… if you ordered your Christmas gifts online through AAFES.
… if your well behaved kid is a “brat.”
… if you have traveled to more countries than states.
… if DFAS screwed up your paycheck … again.
… if you know how to absentee vote but are unsure where to find your local poling site.
… if your son asks for a “high & tight” as his summer haircut and a “fade” for the winter.
… if you know someone who volunteers for MIRC or AFRP (and if you do, give them a hug & say thanks!).
… if your kid’s top choices for what s/he wants to be when s/he grows up are paratrooper, helicopter pilot and tank driver.
… if R&R means much, much more than an afternoon at the spa.
… if your team scores and you yell, “Hooah!”
… if your spouse phones home via Skype.
… if your kid needs to go no farther than your closet to dress up for “camo day” at school.
… if you’ve ever tied a yellow ribbon around a tree in your yard.

To all of our military family & friends (and to those who love & support us) – thanks!

Our oldest is in 5th grade this year, and thus far, we have avoided lice. Without fail, we receive a letter from a least one kid’s teacher (or daycare teacher, back in the day) each year that a case of lice has been reported in their room.  Now that the little two are in kindergarten, I realized that our odds of remaining lice-free are slimmer and slimmer. So, I did some cursory research to find recommended preventative measures.

We half-joke that since they’re all boys, we could go the extreme route if someone does get lice: shave them bald. They’ve had “Army” haircuts off and on for years, and most of them prefer their hair short over long, anyway.  (The 11yo is postponing a haircut as long as possible right now so that he can dress in character for his Albert Einstein report next week. You think I’m kidding?)

Anyway, back to the prevention ideas. From what I read, it looks like rosemary, lavender and tea tree oil are recommended as lice deterrents. I don’t happen to keep lavender oil or tea tree oil on hand, but I did have an almost-full herb container of rosemary that has been in the pantry for years, so I figured I’d try an experiment.

I ground the rosemary into powder using a mortar and pestle, then steeped it in hot water to make “tea.” I strained out the herb with a paper towel and let it cool, then dipped a plastic comb into the “tea” and wet the boys’ hair (particularly behind the ears and nape of the neck, which is where I read that you should apply the lavender/tea tree oil). The aroma is nominal, so no worries about the boys smelling like perfume.

So, I’ll keep you posted on whether or not it helps. I am going to try to remember to douse them every day with it, at least until I run out of the “tea” concoction. I figured that it certainly couldn’t hurt, and if it keeps the lice away, then score one for not having to buy expensive chemical shampoo and that awful wire comb to scrape out the nits. *eww* I shiver just thinking about it.

In all humility, I don’t think it’s too bold of a statement to say that I’m a pretty likable person. I build rapport easily with people, and I believe that I am respected among my peers. I make mistakes, sure, and I could rattle off plenty of scenarios that I wish I could reenact. All in all, though, people tend to smile when I walk into a room, and I have few enemies in the world.

Today, though, I managed to tick off both a colleague AND a dean. How’s that for starting off the week on a positive note?!? There is no sense rehashing the nitty-gritty details here; suffice it to say that I stood my ground on a couple of matters where we were in disagreement. (The situations were unrelated, ironically enough … I upset them each for completely different reasons).

I don’t like the idea of having tense working relationships with anyone, but I stand by my scruples in both situations, and if I had it to do over, I think I would have responded similarly. Going forward will be interesting, because I’m not sure how smoothly the water will flow under the bridge for a while. I will do my best to remain impartial and professional, as I’d like to think is my usual custom.

I’m still here, just haven’t had much to say the past few days. I’m feeling a bit frustrated about some things (and more than a bit frustrated about a few others), but I didn’t want to write a whining post, so I just decided to lay low.

Not to mention, I had a dream last night that I was at a meeting, got upset about the way they were handling matters, told a couple of people exactly what was on my mind (and not in my inside voice) and got myself fired. How’s that for a splendid way to start the morning? Perhaps my subconscious was working through some anxiety … ya think?!?