Please bear with me. While it starts off kind of gross, this story has a happy ending involving food.
Sometimes I imagine there’s an invisible checklist for parenting. I think of it when I’m doing something like making cupcakes at midnight, cursing while putting together a tricycle, being told that the Mesopotamia project is due tomorrow. Recently, and I apologize if this is too much information, a routine haircut revealed that the boys had lice. I felt another box being checked on that invisible list.
I immediately went into crisis-management mode with twice-a-day comb outs, and round the clock laundry and vacuuming. The boys complained that the comb hurt their scalp. My last straw came when I was combing out my own hair and pulled a muscle in my back.
I did second what I wish I’d done first. I called the Lice Lady and made appointments for head checks. At the lovely office in Edina, the staff does a great job of entertaining kids. There are TVs, video games, and movies to watch while the gentle, patient comb outs happen. Neither of my boys made a squeak while a professional combed their hair. In addition to treating kids, the salon does a great job of calming parents. They assured me that this is common, frequent in summer, and not related to my housekeeping. Our appointments were short because we got great news: our home treatment had worked. We were clear headed.
At that point, we had a delicious choice to make. Should we go to the Convention Grill or Hello Pizza to celebrate? Pizza, or burgers and fries? A classic American diner, or the newest incarnation of Ann Kim’s modern take on classic New York slices? A hot fudge sundae with bananas, or soft-serve vanilla ice cream with olive oil, caramel, or chocolate with fleur de sel? THERE WAS NO WRONG CHOICE!
This time, we chose Hello Pizza. Their variety of slices runs the gamut from plain cheese to traditional toppings to an adventurous special. The by-the-slice style meant we had plenty of room for dessert. My kids got their soft-serve vanilla ice cream plain; I had mine topped with salted caramel. We left full and happy. For the first time in days, I felt relaxed. So if (when?) this passage of parenthood happens in your house, don’t panic. Make an appointment, be reassured, and then follow up with either of two great kid-friendly restaurants. It was a far happier ending than I would have imagined.
Hello Pizza
3904 Sunnyside Rd., Edina
952-303-4514, hellopizza.com
Convention Grill
3912 Sunnyside Rd., Edina
952-920-6881, conventiongrillmn.com
Lice Lady
3940 Sunnyside Rd., Edina
612-564-0678, mnlicelady.com
