The last several days haven't been very fun. I had two sick kids and two licey kids. That involves a lot of things that kids think are pretty darn boring, like laundry, sanitizing, isolating, don't sit over there, don't touch that, don't go in that room, etc. To top it off, I was feeling sick for a couple of those days. I have tried to make it as fun as we can, though. For the last two nights we've had a mayo-head sleepover in the living room, and the night before that we had lice cupcakes. I am happy to report that our encounter with lice seems to be coming to a close, and Josh and Ava are not running fevers anymore. If I can keep things under control, Ryan and I might actually be able to continue with our plans to go to Utah this weekend (!).
(Josh is the only one who literally made lice cupcakes and is explaining to me what the different sprinkles on top represent -- some were lice, some were poison)
(Do ya think Sadie likes to pose for the camera, or what?!)
(Josh has been passing the time with LEGO activities, of course.)
(Happy that she didn't have to sleep in mayo last night -- wooot!!!)
Good grief, I sure hope that no one gets lice again anytime, ever (and that this particular bunch doesn't come back for another round). I can attest to the fact that lice are pretty well immune to the chemical treatments. My methods have involved extreme sanitation (keeping in mind that lice can't take heat); one-time use towels, clothing, pillows, sheets, blankets; overnight mayo heads; using tea tree oil shampoo; using the blow dryer on extra hot until your kids think their scalps are cooked; checking hair and picking out nits every two hours (sanitizing that comb inbetween uses); shutting down closets/dressers for 2 weeks -- only using clothes that are very freshly laundered and are kept in the hallway away from beds, etc; ANYthing fabric moved out to the garage for 2 weeks, including rubber bands/hair pretties, Barbies, doll clothes, etc; spraying furniture, mattresses and car interior with chemicals (twice), vacumming them, steaming them, and now spraying them with tea tree oil; throwing out all of our hair brushes; taking all of the jackets & coats out of the hall closet and washing them; wrapping the girls' mattresses with painter's plastic, then putting sheets on them. If the lice come back, I think my only other option is to burn the house down.
ETA: Erin reminded me that yes, everyone got haircuts this weekend to make lice searching easier (and the boys short enough to make lice inhabiting impossible). I am also adding a few drops of tea tree oil to each load of laundry that has any bedding in it.
I forgot -- there is one more thing that helps.
Wow. If this ever happens to us, I know who I'm calling.
Posted by: Regan | February 03, 2009 at 03:22 PM
You forgot to tell everyone that you were stricken with an evil mutant strain, resistant to everything supposedly effective. It took a genius combination of treatments for total erradication;)
(and if they should return, I second the motion to blow up the house!)
Posted by: SassyButt friend Misty | February 03, 2009 at 05:45 PM
So....you should stop by if you are in town...I still talking to Jose about a spring break trip. San Antonio has come up as an option. I am losing my mind here in Utah right about now!
Posted by: Sonja | February 03, 2009 at 09:38 PM
Wow, I don't even know what to say. You rock and I bow before you, oh delousing queen! That sounds completely and utterly horrific!
Posted by: Toni | February 03, 2009 at 10:36 PM
I don't know how we got rid of ours then...we weren't nearly as good as you. It looks like Delaney got a haircut too...or is that just my imagination. That's what we did...but Syd was just 2 and since we have managed to be lice-free...*cross-fingers*, *count-blessings*
Posted by: Erin Wilkinson | February 03, 2009 at 10:52 PM