Lice Bites

No really, literally, lice bites.  But of course what I really mean is that it bites in a big way.  And it has bitten us (or really our kids) five times in the past year.

Evidently, it really has no problem at all navigating its way up and down a bunk bed.  So now we know.

And I am so over it.

So here is how we are biting back.

Of course you might be thinking, "What in the world, they have had it five times?  Why should I listen to her?"

And you'd be right the first four times.  But I think this last one we may have mastered it.

But I'll back up a second.


As I mentioned Saturday, our washing machine died two weeks ago.


At the end of the week, we got a note that lice was going around summer camp.


And Friday we had Caleb come home looking like this.

And I knew we were screwed.

But we did what we said we'd do if they ever happened to pick up lice again.

Yup, there is a reason Caleb is shirtless.

We had always said that if lice attacked our home again.  We'd fight back.  And that fight would start with a #1 blade on the clippers.  The boys were on board, too.  I think they hate nit-picking and lice-combing almost as much as I do.

Project "Time to Shave the Head" began.

This was going to be a good show.  So Noah pulled up a stool and grabbed himself some crackers.

Word even made it to Chicago and New York, so my sister and her friend, Sam, showed up. 

Okay, they were in town already, but they did make it to the house just in time for the big shearing.

About midway through, Caleb wasn't feeling quite so sure this was the best option afterall.

Especially as all of the hair began to itch, even more than it already was.

Meanwhile, Noah was thoroughly enjoying watching his brother squirm.

Until he, like all of us, started to feel the placebo effect of thinking about lice.  And started dealing with the phantom lice itches, too.

Snip. 

Shear. 

Snip.

We followed that with a thorough over-the-counter treatment.  Your classic shampoo, sit, rinse, gel and comb and comb and comb.

But here's the real kicker.   The "why-don't-they-tell-us-that" piece of information.

Last summer when I didn't think I could do another weekend of 17 loads of laundry and tearful shampoos, I mentioned it to our pediatrician.  And she mentioned that there is a prescription available.

It's called Malathion.  And it's nasty stuff.  It smells like you can't believe.  But it works.

So yes, that is our secret weapon.  That and relative baldness.  Then again, I am not sure, it might be kind of a chicken-egg deal.  But either way that is what we are going with this time.

Yes, I did have to haul 17 loads of laundry out of here to my parents' house to wash them.

Yes, I did spend my entire weekend cleaning.

No, my head has never itched as much as it did while I wrote this post.

But lice bites.  And we're biting back.