Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Update from the frontline

I tried not to laugh as I snuck into the kids' bedrooms to kiss them goodnight...
Two of the kids are wearing shower caps (one pink, one yellow), and reminded me of the pillsbury dough boy. Despite the sneaking, neither one was asleep. The caps were too crinkly, the goo was too gooey and stuff was oozing out at the ears and down their necks.
Monday night I put one daughter in a full-head vaseline/cornstarch poultice.
It's an internet concoction. I hate lice. With a white-hot hate. I'm willing to try just about anything. I can't even begin to describe the process of smearing vaseline over the scalp and down every strand of LONG hair... and then the mess of the cornstarch cloud over the top of it. Some kneading, twisting and packaging, and I had daughters who looked more like moist powdered donuts with plastic wrap. Their older brother saw them at lunchtime today and made some snide comment about cafeteria ladies... (He compassionately pasted a large sign to his bedroom door that reads "LICE-FREE ZONE. Keep Out") Karma. That's what I say.
I just couldn't bring myself to take the layers of chalky grease off today or tonight. I'm giving it one more day. Any guesses as to how many times I'll have to shampoo? Have you ever washed your hands after using vaseline?
Nothing could possibly live or breath under that stuff.
The second daughter never tested positive (although, have you ever tried to spot a nit on blond hair?) but she was having nightmares about being itchy, so she got the petroleum jelly treatment too. Her's didn't go on until lunchtime today, so she might be in for another night of suffering.

9 comments:

Joy said...

So not fun! Don't pharmacies carry some type of lice rid shampoo that works right away?

Annie said...

Oh, Jenny. Hang in there. (I'm with second daughter; my heads itching a little just reading this.)

shirlgirl said...

Hey, Jenny--there's stuff in the pharmacy you can get for those critters. The only other option is to have their hair cut and bag the hair. They might have to go the short hair route for the summer. It'll grow back. I know that is a little drastic. Years ago, they used to shave the hair of the head if it was too bad. I remember a girl in school with a boy's haircut--that was the reason. But there is stuff on the market and it might be a lot easier than what you are doing and not as messy. Worth a try.

Jo Jo said...

Okay I'm laughing. Isn't the shampoo a little easier than that?

ChefTom said...

I have been scratching my head since the first post on this subject a couple of days ago. I hope you are almost rid of the critters so I can stop scratching.

Unknown said...

PEOPLE.
Believe me when I tell you that we've USED the stuff from the drug store. It's effective, but not so much after the first day. Then you're not supposed to reapply the chemical for two weeks. I.CAN'T.WAIT. The vaseline for 48 hours has worked miracles. HOWEVER. Now I have used an entire jar of shampoo and a whole container of dish soap, and the girls still look like they haven't washed their hair since December. I have a new appreciation for the environmentalist who trys to clean up the oil spill of the century.

Becky said...

JENNY! Good grief. Is it gone yet? We're on count down here for the reunion that YOU'RE hosting. Sorry for what you are dealing with...really, I am. (UGH!)

Joy said...

Try washing their hair with baking soda to get the vaseline out. That is what the use in salons as a build up stipper.

The Mormon Monk said...

Where are the PICTURES? I want to see Pillsbury Dough Girls 1 & 2!