Life has been super busy lately with work (which I love), exercising (did zumba, yoga and power walking this week), socializing (had my Mom's group over for brunch today and a great night out with two friends last night) and other things. Unfortunately, I have not had time to blog or really e-mail either. I apologize if I owe you an e-mail. And I am sorry I have been such a lame blogger for those of you checking in with us daily.
I do have a recipe to post soon, a fun update on super cute things Kate has been saying and a household tip. I just have not have time to upload photos and compose anything. Also, Harry has been home from school a lot with both migraines and stomach issues. I would appreciate prayers for him. He really has been suffering.
And since I always need a photo...here is Kate "sniffing" her lovey (pronounced wuuvie or wuubie). It is Kate's turn for "All about me" at school this week. And she wanted to bring in her "lovey." But lovey does not leave the house (except on vacation) because Kate needs lovey to sleep. So instead, we sent in a photo of lovey. Lovey is a small little tactile square that her godmother, Stacy gave her as a baby. Kate loves to sniff it. It gets washed every Wednesday so it only ever really smells like laundry detergent but sniffing lovey soothes Kate. So, here is Kate sniffing her lovey....
Notice the blue paint of her hand? She is my little painter. She would draw/paint all day long.
We have the "Fairy Lice Mothers" where I live. The parents in our school district swear by it. I would definitely get it taken out by a professional if Kate gets it by some chance. Lets cross our fingers!
ReplyDeleteWhenever someone in our school gets it, all of the teachers wear their hair in buns...lol.
The last time we had a breakout, we found out that the eggs can sit around the classroom for a while...so I would def keep Kate's hair up and keep checking her.
So sorry you have to all go through this!
I too am itchy just thinking about it!
Love this photo of Kate. Hope she doesn't get lice. I distinctly remember getting them once, and my Mum's friend cracking them with her fingernails. Ugh!
ReplyDeleteJill
The key is the school to keep checking the kids who have it for at least 10 days to make sure they stay nit free. Also, the lice have become resistant to rid, nix, etc. The county health physician in our area recommends what I first saw on PBS' Arthur: mayonnaise. It is messy (wear a shower cap when you leave it on the hair overnight), but works. Tea tree oil works well, too. Good luck! I'll pray for you!
ReplyDeleteP.S. I itch, too, every time I fill a prescription for Elimite; a hazard of the job! :)
Tea Tree oil shampoo works as well as the Terminex comb...every night 1-1 1/2 hours of serious work (Kate did not miraculously get them, but everyone else at the party (6) did!)and washing towels, sheets, clothes every night for 2 weeks on hot h2o/hot dryer...
ReplyDeletegood luck!
Lynn
Wyomissing, PA
BTW, if they have carpet in the classroom, tell Kate not to lay down on it!!! (And see if the school will get it cleaned.)
ReplyDeleteI am scared of lice too and always itch thinking of it. Heard they don't like coconut shampoo or tea tree shampoo - found Organix brand shampoo at Walmart with these flavors. But heard you should not use tea tree too often. Also we use hairspray which is sticky for them. Someone told me about some zapping comb that she uses on her daughter every other night to prevent lice - saw it on Amazon. My youngest sniffs her lovey all the time too - always wondered if it means anything! Wendy
ReplyDeletewe use lice shield every time there is an outbreak at school and of 3 kids not one has gotten it... and it doesn't smell too bad! good luck, love the picture and love Kate's bedding!
ReplyDeleteWe got the same letter last week. I instantly starting itching too!! I'm hoping now that we're out for spring beak that nothing will come of it. ICK, ICK, ICK! But I love that you have a darling picture of Kate to make the post less "icky"! :)
ReplyDeleteI am itchy when I see pictures on the news about bed bugs!
ReplyDeleteI had lice when I was in 1st grade. A girl in my carpool got it and then we ALL did. I had long, thick hair and it was not fun to get rid of. I hope the little buggers stay far away from Kate!
Unfortunately we have run the full gauntlet of lice treatments in this house. Way back when my kids were littles we tried:
ReplyDelete- NUke em with chemicals (gave my girl bad asthma but seemed to work otherwise)
- Zap comb- incredibly tedious for girls with long hair, would not reccomend!
- pour bottle of conditioner over hair and comb everything (eggs, lice, louse) out- worked surprisingly well.
- natural oils preventer/braiding hair/strict no sharing brushes/hats rule - never knew if this worked or just postponed the inevitable?
I would recommend a combination of chemical and conditioner treatment. The worst part is getting the child to sit still for combing!
Good luck!
Yve
(ps my 20 year old still sometimes sleeps with and sniffs an old tshirt of mine shes had since birth)
If you get lice, let me know. I was the preschool lice checker for a long time and helped set the protocol we used which was nasty chemical free (mostly just olive oil and nit picking). Hannah is sick so I don't have time to list what we did, but I'd be happy to later.
ReplyDeleteLove the photo of Kate. Where do you get all of her adorable hair accessories?
sounds like life is pretty darn good!
ReplyDeletelea
xo
Eeek! Hope she avoids getting it! But, as long as you catch it early, it really won't be that bad :-)
ReplyDeleteMuch love,
Future Mama
http://expectingablessing.blogspot.com/
praying for your little man!
ReplyDelete&
I LOVE LOVE that shot of her. you rock the indoor shots my friend. gorgeous. & i love that you captured her with loovie!
Praying for your sweet boy...I have migraines and they are the worst and usually last about 3 days for me. Poor guy...I know exactly how to pray for him:)
ReplyDeleteLice?? Oh my..my head is itchy just thinking about it. My missionary friends who live in the jungles of Peru all have lice right now...yuck...they say that the girls (very long brown hair) heads are scabbing and bleeding from the scratching. This just makes me say, thank you Jesus for not calling me to the jungles...I am not a camping girl:)
Love ya'll Kim!
Olive oil, mayo, conditioner, anything really oily and heavy works for these superbugs, the bad part of the superbugs is getting them out of clothing, bedding and stuffed animals. Makes me so thankful I am no longer working child welfare and walking in and out of homes that NEVER get rid of lice! Amazingly we never got them and I was in lice infested homes frequently! There is spray for mattresses and furniture, it smells HORRID, but it works. Good Luck!
ReplyDeleteSHUDDER!!! It's that time of year due to weather and kiddos sharing things like batting helmets! We use tea tree shampoo that I get at whole foods and only wash hair very other day. We have a STRICT hair up at school rule - braid or ponytail only! We also do not hug is there is a known outbreak and never ever share hats, combs etc. I wash her backpack every weekend as well.
ReplyDeletePraying for Harry. I am sure you know that migraines and stomach pains can go hand in hand. When I was a practitioner in GI at Childrens we had several patients with not only typical migraines but also abdominal migraines. We used small doses of Elavil when nothing else worked and most responded very well with complete resolution to only a rare complaint.
Kates dress is presh!
Julie
I unfortunately had lice once when I was in high school- my little sister's friend slept over and used my hair brush without my knowledge. It feels AWFUL, like the worst dandruff/dry scalp you've ever had and when you lay down you can feel them crawling. (or at least I could, but I suppose that could have been my paranoia :) ) I used an over the counter shampoo for lice and left it on for about 3 times longer than the recommended time (again, paranoia) which did get rid of them, but that was about 10 years ago now. I used tea tree shampoo for a few weeks after that, which helps with the sore scalp and smells good. It's also much gentler on your scalp so I'd recommend that for Kate before any of those really harsh chemical treatments.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I'm sure the school has already taken care of this, but make sure to tell Kate not to share any clothing (sweatshirts with hoods, etc.) or anything with her classmates for awhile! Lice are so gross, good luck!
Yep, I itch too just thinking about it! We use Fairy Tales shampoo and detangling spray religiously during the school year, and so far, so good (for 3 years running!). Its made with rosemary oil, which I guess lice don't appreciate. It has a very distinct smell - fine by me if it means no lice!
ReplyDeleteInstead of the paint, I was noticing the silver bracelet! Too cute!
ReplyDeleteLice...ugh! It's a career hazard for me. The best advice I can give is if Kate gets it, slather her hair in mayo and put it up in a shower cap for about 1/2 hour. Take a comb and brush out her hair and then wash it. Also, spray her hair with hairspray for a while until your sure lice isn't in the classroom any longer.
ReplyDeletePrayers for your sweetie! Hope he feels better soon. LOVE the pic of Kate and her lovey! I still have one, too! Sits at the end of my bed. My parents always said it would come between me and a husband...hmmm, maybe that's why I'm still single? :)
One thing I would say about lice is that if you do have to treat Kate (or anyone ) only let the shampoo be in contact with her head, meaning do not wash it in the tub where her whole body will be exposed to the chemicals. We had quite a scare many years ago after washing our daughter's hair in the tub. She was exposed to too many chemicals - it was so awful, and so scary!!!But no one warned me about this, and little kids almost always wash in the tub. Hope you do not have to deal with any of it... I too am itchy!
ReplyDeleteSara
I have actually had lice myself--- when I was a second grade teacher in the south. I get the heebie jeebies just thinking about it! Have you heard of Tea Tree Oil? It is a natural remedy that someone advised we take to China. Buy it at a health food store. It is a treatment and is also preventative. Here is a link to instructions:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ehow.com/how_2188304_treat-lice-tea-tree-oil.html
It isn't dangerous. Lice shampoo is very toxic and I think unhealthy for children.
Just here to help ;)
Living in Asia ... I have become a nit picking expert. Lots of good advise in above replies. We shampoo with Tea Tree products daily for prevention! Feel free to email me if you confirm she has them!
ReplyDeleteLove & Blessings from Hong Kong,
Kim
Lice phobe over here too!!!! Those little buggers were rampant in 4th grade this year. Thankfully they did not find us.. We used a shampoo and conditioner from our local co-op too that seemed to help! Make sure she wears her hair up, and put some hair spray in it too. They do not like that!!! I love the colors in this photo... That dress is precious on her!!!!
ReplyDeleteYou sound like you are having so much fun!!! I need some social time over here!
Miss you!
Me
Lavender Oil. Get a organic type and put a few drops in her hair every couple of days. Lice won't go near it and it is very nice smelling to kids and humans.
ReplyDeleteDon't use the chemical shampoos or sprays because if she does get the lice later you will have an awful time getting rid of it.
Have never had it at our house, but always felt itchy too when we'd get those letters. Fingers crossed that Kate doesn't get it. Lots of good advice. Love that photo of her with her adorable hair flower and cute dress. Hope your son feels better. As a migraine sufferer, I feel for him. Take care!
ReplyDeletejanet
I feel your itch! We JUST went through this with our youngest.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read all of the comments, so someone may have already mentioned this:
Google Texas Lice Squad. They are in the Mo. City / Sugar Land area, on Cartwright just off of Hwy 6. (This may be what your school told you about.)
We went there and they worked their magic, which is basically a THOROUGH combing. First they do a check for $12.50 and then if there are lice or nits, they comb and comb and comb... and charge by the hour and let me tell you, it is SO worth the money.
They have wifi, so bring your laptop. Kids can watch DVDs during treatement. They can also eat/drink snacks. It is super kid-friendly.
Basically, nothing but combing will get rid of the nits, since they are glued to the hair. TLS does use anything but a mousse to dampen the hair. No chemicals, etc.
Before we went to TLS, I did the rid thing and combed my DDs hair all into the night. Then I took her to TLS a few days later and they combed and got SO MANY MORE nits out. They have a special comb and it's not like the drugstore combs. In fact, we are on our way to China on Saturday and we are taking that comb with us, just in case our new children have lice. :-)
Anyway, she didn't have any more nits at the seven day check up so she was officially lice free. Also, you really don't have to do a whole lot to your house. TLS will tell you, lice live on hair, not houses.
Hopefully Kate will just not get it and you won't have to worry about it. But, if you want peace of mind, I highly recommend at least having TLS check her hair for you.
If you have any questions, you can email me at ajbartsch@yahoo.com .
I'm scratching just from reading this post!! Head lice is not so much a problem for me or have been for my kids. However, there was an outbreak at my little ones school recently and all the kids were given a handout. The fact that we use oils on our hair naturally and our growth pattern is different, those icky lice stay far away. There is low probability in having an infestation in my little's one head. HOWEVER....I'm a tea-tree oil shampoo fan, so the "little lousy lice" wouldn't have a chance if it wanted to. :)
ReplyDeleteKeeping my fingers crossed for Kate and praying for Harry. Praying that today finds him better~health wise.
I use lavender essential oil in my daughters hair as a repulsive ( it might work very well as they don't catch those litlle nasty beast EVER) apply very little on the hair every morning ... Hope this will help
ReplyDeleteI have used the Fairy Tales Spray in the past when we lived in FL and my girls never got lice... http://www.fairytaleshaircare.com/ It is a prevention spray that you apply in the morning before they gor to school.
ReplyDeleteI bought that lice shield spray to put on her head before she went to school. I also got it at CVS. So far no issues. I kept putting my little girls hair in a bun or a braid too so there was no hanging pieces. The joys of school
ReplyDeleteMy mother used lavender oil essential when I was a kid and I never had any lice, same thing for my sister.
ReplyDeleteIt was always the same kids in school who had lice years after years. Some children have kinds of hair and scalps that attract them more than others. Let's hope Kate is not one of them!
Sweet Pea's 1st grade class has also been hit by lice. I knew it would do me in if I had to deal with lice as well as remaining construction issues. We use products by Fairy Tales and the best results are from their Rosemary Repel Leave in Conditioning Spray. I wanted extra insurance so I bought them all... shampoo, conditioner, leave in conditioner and finish spray. Good Luck!
ReplyDeleteOh no! You poor thing! I, too, am itching just reading this.
ReplyDeleteHope Harry feels better soon.
We, too, are in the busy boat right now! Things are crazy busy!
Congrats on your exercise program!
If there are cubbies or "hooks" for coats/jackets, etc. they crawl from garment to garment. Your child can also get them from sharing a locker with another child who has lice. Not the end of the world, but alot of work ridding your house of them. My daughter has a "lovey" also. Baby washcloths that we took to China. She is indiscriminate about a specific one, but they must be baby washcloths. She also sniffs them before she goes to sleep and sometimes on a long car ride or if she is tired. She is 5 also. Love the pic of Kate. My daughter has a funny way of holding her tongue behind her teeth when she "sniffs" her lovey. I'll treasure it always.
ReplyDeleteI sure hope Kate is ok!! So sorry you are dealing with that!
ReplyDeleteUgh, just the word lice brings back dreadful memories!!
Our kids had it when they were in Kindergarden and grade 5, yuk yuk yuk!! Two lovely long haired girls with lice-extraordinaire! I got them too because I (stupidly!) used the kids' hair brushes, not knowing they had lice of course!!
-a few great tips I learned, because our lice were (of course!)super-lice who were resistant to the shampoos and products that are supposed to work!
1.don't share brushes EVER!
2.If your kids have open-hook style coatracks,(as opposed to lockers), tell your child to put their hat in their sleeve away from other kids hats, coats etc...after our infestation, we even made the kids put their entire COAT and hat in their backpack each day to keep it away from potential lice and nits!
3."soft" furniture in the classroom: tell your kids to STAY off of it! (our daughter's class had a sofa for the kids to sit on and read, and I'm SURE the little lice were just in that sofa waiting for a nice warm head to lean back and jump on!)
4.If you get them, wash EVERYTHING you own, and put stuff you can't wash in the freezer. (ie.teddy who is old and can't be washed cause he will desintegrate!)
5.the best CURE someone gave me was dippity do. Like other posters said, you need thick gunk that the lice can't "breathe" thru. We had lice that came back on us like 4 times because it was super-resistant to the regular products and the only way I got rid of it FOR GOOD was by putting about a gallon of dippity-do on the kids heads and putting a shower cap on their head and putting them to bed like that. In the morning, you just rinse it out and wash hair. your hair is SO soft and it kills those little BEASTS but good!! :) Please pass this on to others who have it, I kissed the ground that the Mom who told me to do this walked on, it was that effective!!
Good luck and I hope Kate NEVER gets it, that it bypasses her and leaves the school!:)
Nancy
I have a great preventive all-natural spray by a company called Fairy Tails. (I bought it at Babies R'Us.) It has eucalyptus, tea tree oil, etc. in it so when we get the dreaded lice-in-your-classroom note I just do a ponytail or braid every day and then spray this spray on.
ReplyDeleteSo far, so good!
We've had to deal with lice here - and this is the website that our pediatrician sent us to http://www.nuvoforheadlice.com/ which treats lice without harsh chemicals - basically suffocates the nits - similar to what mayonnaise does - but not at all greasy and can be bought easily at stores. It worked - just a long time combing it all out. Hope you don't have to deal with it!! Fiona
ReplyDeleteI am right there with ya my friend....
ReplyDeleteI have a FEAR of lice myself....I have a FEAR of the thought of lice, I too get all itchy.
We also have a lovie....his name is Mimmie and just like Kate, Max loves to sniff him.
And we also do not let Mimmie out of the house unless we are going somewhere to spend the night. I can't "bear" the thought of trying to get through a night without our beloved bear.
A very precious photo of your very precious girl!!!
Kim
I love this pic of your beautiful Kate, and I love her pretty spring dress. I sure hope she can avoid those little monsters. Kerry loves to paint too, she could paint for hours if I let her.
ReplyDeleteGin =)
Kate is ADORABLE!
ReplyDeleteOh boy! We dealt with lice last year. It's HORRIBLE!! And I was itching for months after. lol. SO glad she doesn't have it.
ReplyDeleteAdorable picture too!!
I have a fear of lice too - and last summer my older daughter got them the last week we were in Australia - we brought them to America with us and treated her 3 times - it was awful! None of our other 3 children got them. I do think it is a good idea to use that shampoo and those sprays you can get. Keep her hair up at school too.
ReplyDeleteGood Luck with that!
Oh no - about the lice.... not good!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE the photo of her, beautiful!
Alyzabeth's Mommy
I am now itching! Also, I have heard that lice do not like hair products. So if you use volumizer, hair spray, etc. Yo should be OK!
ReplyDeleteI keep the Lice Shield shampoo and the spray in conditioner at all times. I shampoo the girls hair with it everytime the school sends a note home saying its in the classroom. So far we haven't had any breakout with using it. It was hard for me to find but I found it at CVS. I do the spray in tangle conditioner a couple times a week even if there isn't anything going on a school for peice of mind during the school year it hasn't damaged my girls hair any, It does have a little smell to it but once it drys it doesn't.
ReplyDeleteI am no help for the lice issue but I know where I'll turn if we ever have to deal with that- yikes!
ReplyDeleteBut about Harry, I did want to mention that one of my aunts visited recently and she always had a little hat/visor and small sunglasses on. I asked her why and she said that she finally realized that light- both sunlight and artificial indoor lighting was giving her migraines! Just thought I'd mention!
Take care!
Love the lovie. Darci was attached to a Fisher Price "Sophia" doll that had black silky hair and she would rub her nose with the hair. When I got her ears pierced as a reward I got her a Build a Bear bunny and she took to that like bears to honey and that poor bunny's ears got a workout. She rubs her nose to the point she stops breathing (just for a second). Last weekend the bunny got left at the sitter's and I did not discover it until bedtime (9:30) we have a late night owl who will not go to sleep if I put her to bed earlier. So we had to use a subsitute, it was a painful bedtime however she made it through and so now we have downsized to a smaller monkey. It a tactile thing with her rubbing her nose. She is going to preschool full time this fall and I am really trying to break her of needing anything at naptime. We will work hard on it this summer. She takes it to the sitters but then it goes in the bag until nap time and then back in the bag until bed time. From time to time she will need it for security and so I will let her have it during those disruptive times (dad being gone for work). No lice here and I hope we never have to deal with it, never had to deal with it with the big girls when they were smaller. I work in the education field and for several years worked in a room where we had a little girl who had a repetative problem with it, luckily I never picked up that little critter!!! Hope Harry gets to feeling better soon snd you catch a break from the busy boat, so understand that ride!!!
ReplyDelete