Dear Self:

Here are some lessons we’ve learned over the last couple days:

• Car batteries have a life span of 4 to 6 years. If your dad was still here, he would have reminded you to maybe replace yours now as it’s approximately 5.5 years old and he knew remembering car stuff is not your forte. Fortunately yesterday’s snafu was fixed with a jump start, but it’s a good idea to wake up and smell the motor oil, and get a new battery.
• Related: Roadside assistance is a great thing to have, but programming the number into your phone so you don’t have to call your husband is an even better idea.
• Also related: Even though you haven’t called Bob’s office number in at least five years, because it’s easier to text him, it’s still good to have that number in your phone too. This way you can call him on the days his phone dies and he has no charger. Like yesterday, when your battery died.
• Ditto for the school’s phone number, so you can more easily call and tell them you won’t make it to library volunteering.
• Head lice: It’s great to have a kid with a sense of humor, who started a ‘lice club’ with her similarly affected classmates, even if she burst into tears five minutes later. She just might be permanently traumatized because you vacuum sealed her current favorite stuffed toy, Melanie the reindeer, in an attempt to kill any bugs. Putting Melanie in a regular trash bag with the rest of the stuffed animals might have been just as effective.
• Laundry: It does not seem so right now, but it is finite. Washing the bedding, towels, jackets and clothes is the only way to get peace of mind that we got rid of these gross little critters.
• And don’t feel guilty for not doing anything else besides Lice 101 today.
• Be thankful: this is still better than a stomach virus.

Have a great weekend!