Saturday, October 23, 2010

Itch...

It all began this morning when Kate climbed onto my lap for a snuggle.  

And then I saw it; tiny, stealthy, gnat-like.  

I gasped, 

killed it then found another and then another.  

Still gasping, 

Kate looked at me in alarm, 

"What is it, Mama?" 

"I think you have lice, Kate", I replied with a sick feeling in my stomach. She burst into tears of humiliation.

I started to pick through her hair like a monkey and found scores of eggs and nits.  

The realization of what lay ahead felt like a lead weight.  

The rumor mill swirled late last week about a lice outbreak at school and now it was coming home to roost.

Today, like most days, are busy with stuff going on.  Jack has a big karate event followed by a much anticipated sleep over at the dojo.  Kate has a birthday party and a sleep over at her nanny's.  

And WE had a night ALONE for the first time in a LONG time.    

All dashed to bits...  

The next thought was my battle cry...Let's nail these nasty bugs!  

The kids and I prepared to jump into the car for a Walgreen's run.  

With found lice on Kate's pretty head, I knew the cashier's reaction to having my kids in tow as I slapped the Lice Rid medicine on the conveyor belt would be of fear and disgust.  

I had to come up with a proactive measure that would satifsy even the guy selling Streetwise at the Walgreen's entrance.  

A kerchief....  

So I found a bandanna and wrapped it around her head to quell the arobatic vermin.  Once we got back, fifty dollars worth of lice remedies in hand, we stopped by a neighbor's home for quick advice.  They had suffered twice over the summer and were unwilling lice experts.  

"No, you have the wrong stuff...they are immune to Rid.  You need "QuitNits".  

Off, kerchief clad victim in hand, we went to Whole Foods, to drop another fifty bucks.    

I dosed Jack with the stuff, just to be safe and fine tooth combed his head.  

Whew....the kid was clean.  

Miss Kate got smeared with QuitNits, like she was in the salon for a single process coloring.  On went the lovely shower cap for 4 hours.  

Since Jack was cleared to go to his karate event, we had a little logistical problem.  Dropping him off with Kate, donning her cap of shame, would cause some alarm.  

She needed a better disguise...Kerchief Plus Raincoat.  

The hood  and kerchief covered her plastic baggie head.  Now she just looked like a cancer patient. 

Oh well, the pitying stares were misguided, but she WAS worth some level of pity...

We dropped the boy off and headed home to commence the shock and awe attack.  

Having lice creates a good excuse to really clean your home.  I am not at all happy about it, but now that it's done, I feel better.  


I sprayed (detoxed) the mattresses, upholstery, rugs, toys, backpacks, lunchboxes, you name it... with Rid lice spray.  Then I vacuumed the bejeezus out of all that.  Piles of clothing went to the dry cleaner.  

Huge-r piles were dumped near the laundry room for super hot cleaning. It looks like we are candidates for the "Hoarders" show....  I think I'll be doing laundry until my son gets his first armpit hair....  

Next came me.  I found three of those 6 legged bastards on my head and my husband found one more.  

I think he has more primate in him than he is willing to admit, because he had a little too much passion for picking at my head.  

It was truly gross.  

So now, as I write this, I have the Quit Nits glopped on my cranium, shower cap holding it in.  

Facebook is good for unique wisdom and a great friend of mine suggested throwing tea tree oil and olive oil into the mix.  

You can bet we are going to bed with a spa treatment of olive oil in our hair.....sexy.  

Trader Joes sells tea tree shampoo for pennies and I will be buying a case tomorrow.  

It will be ALL we use until, oh, about 2050.

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