Monday, April 13, 2009

SPIRITUAL WARFARE......

Yup..that's what we've been having here at home! If you've noticed I haven't been commenting on some of your blogs like I normally do, this is why! Our spiritual warfare came in the form of LICE!!!! Yes..you read that right! My mom actually is the one who found it in my youngest daughter's hair on Thursday night! My husband immediately bought some RID & NIX and checked ALL our hair! The only place she could have got lice was from the mother daughter sleepover last Friday when they were doing all the girls' hair with the same brush & combs!!! I should've been more careful!! Anyway, long story short, my youngest daughter had the actual lice, myself and the rest of the kids had nits! GROSS!!!!! My husband came home early from work Friday so he could help me! I have a mountain of laundry because we stripped everything from all the rooms! We have spent hours going through the girls hair because you literally have to go through each strand to make sure the nits are out! I'm sure those of you that have experienced this know exactly what I'm talking about!!!

But, I'm still rejoicing in the Lord, because we will not let the enemy discourage us! Ever since my husband went on board with Children's Ministry, they all told him, "Watch out because you even have a bigger target on your back now." Of course, this happens right before Easter!! As it stands now, we're all rid of the nits and no no more lice, although we will continue to check all our hair for the next week. Praise the Lord that He has given us the wisdom and patience to deal with this!! I would never wish this on anybody!!! Lice does not go away with just a wash. You HAVE to be diligent in going through strands of hair to get rid of it! Don't just depend on those shampoos! We went over and beyond what needed to be done to get rid of it! I feel like I can write a book on how to delouse anyone! Here are steps we took, FYI!

1. Washed everyone's hair with RID or Nix.
2. Smothered all our hair (except the boys) with mayonnaise and covered with a shower cap for two hours. The oil smothers the lice and makes it easy to comb everything out. After, wash with Dawn to take the grease out, then shampoo with regular shampoo.
3. Bought Tea Tree Shampoo by Paul Mitchell. It is expensive, but lice do not like Tea Tree Oil and it will kill it too!
4. Every morning and night, check EVERY STRAND of hair to make sure the nits are GONE! This is a crucial step in getting rid of it all!
5. Do this for an entire week, and on the 7th day, rewash hair with RID or Nix, just to be sure!!!

Oh..and if you have boys, it's much easier to shave their head! My husband cut all my three boys hair, just in case! Everyone loved it! LOL!

We all wore shower caps on Friday to prevent our hair from touching anything..just in case!
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Awww!! What a trooper!
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44 comments:

Unknown said...

Oh Alicia...I'm so sorry you had to deal with lice...no fun :0(
My kids have never had it but I remember having it in the 2nd grade..it was terrible.

mama's smitten said...

Oh Alicia! So Sorry! What a pain. Looks like you handled it !

tiki_lady said...

we went through this once and with our hair and my girls We have a TON OF HAIR!! I freaked out the most. I took their bedding and their pillow cases, etc. It was im my youngest daughters hair when she was 5. I had no idea what that was. I washed and blow dried her hair and saw white things in it. I thought it was dandruff, and then blow dried her hair but it wouldn't come out. So then I asked a friend and she told me what it was. I FREAKED!!! We spent so much money in the hair supplies. I should have just done the mayo also. WE combed out their hair so thoroughly. I was just worried about them or the eggs hatching in the house on our carpet and things. BUT we survived.

Sorry you have to go through this but at least you didn't FREAK out like I did.

Anonymous said...

I always freaked out when those notes would come home with the warning. Like you, it's not that big of a deal with the boys because you can just shave it but I was terrified for my daughter to get it. She has massive amounts of tight pencil curls and it would have been a literal nightmare to go through that. I'm glad you girls at least have straight hair.

So glad your battle is over!

JMBMOMMY said...

Oh this is terrible....a friend's daughter got this and it took months to truly get rid of them....it was horrible!!! So I hope for you guys they go away and stay away!!!!!

Mo said...

awww. did you check barbie's hair too?

Angela said...

Oh girl....((hugs)) No pestilence shall come near your home Psalm 91...keep praising God and standing on His Word as you are being released from those nasties!!!

Everything you have written is RIGHT ON..being not only a mom but a daycare provider for 20 years,,,all those tips you have written is the ONLY way to be diligent. I've had some daycare family's that it has taken A MONTH to finally be rid of them. They were not diligent, nor washing, or checking for nits..That is why schools here in Ontario have a no nit policy..you got a nit, can't come to school...

Melissa said...

ACK! My brother and I had lice once and it was NOT fun at all! I'm glad you're being diligent about it and it looks like it's on it's way out your door!

erica said...

One of my BIGGEST fears in life is that one of my 3 girls will get lice and bring it home to the rest of us. So sorry for you guys! I'm praying for strength to catch up on laundry and patience to put it all away:)

Denise said...

Bless your dear hearts, sorry about this.

Sara said...

OH! That is awful, I am so sorry! I had it when I was little, and I had LONG hair, and I just remember my mom washing it in the kitchen sink, and pulling everything out with a tiny little comb. That's terrible!! Oh well, at least it was all caught at the same time. My heads itching.. I can still remember the smell of RID. I think ALL kids get it!!

jen@odbt said...

Yikes! That is crazy. We found our first tick on my daughter's head last week - I thought I was going to throw up. You all are troopers. Hope lice is gone for good!

Anonymous said...

Oh Alicia I am so sorry you all are having to go through this ordeal. We have not had to go through this and I hope we don't ever have to. I hope you get caught up on all your laundry soon, that itself is enough for spiritual warefare!!
Sending you lots of {{HUGS}}

Shoebee said...

When mmy kid's school was having a lice breakout-I put tea tree oil on the kid's hair-just the essential oil and since I am a Melaleuca marketing exec (tea tree oil)- I have lots of shampoo with tea tree oil-they wash their hair everyday with tea tree oil. Gotta love that tea tree oil!!

momstheword said...

We have never had it but we've had friends who have been thru it. It just sounds awful.

My head is itching even as we speak! I've heard that lice don't like heat and that if a person blow dries their hair they aren't as likely to get it.

Don't know if it's true or not.

Stacy said...

when Noah played baseball a few years ago they shared helments.well he ended up with lice. I never thought we were going to get rid of them. My head itches just to think about it. Sorry it hit you at Easter.

really.truly said...

Oh girl!! You handled it all so well. I was going to tell you about the Tea Tree oil...and look at you. You did it all! Go Alicia.

My local friend went through this last year, I remember all that she went through. Hope they are all gone for good!!

Tabitha Blue said...

Oh my goodness, that is a crazy weekend for sure, and not fun to deal with at all. I remember that from when I was a kid. So sorry. Sounds like you've got this down!! Way to go. Keep up the great work too!!

:)
~Tabitha~

freshmommyblog.com

McCrakensx4 said...

Oh sister...I feel for you; how aweful. And not only all of the hair, but ANYTHING with fur, stuffed animals, bedding, everything!!! YUCK...be sure to put all stuffed animals into a HOT wash or into a black garbage bag tied tight for 2 weeks. I hope it is all gone! Not a fun time.

DarcyLee said...

I'm so sorry about your ordeal. I've been there and done that with my 4 daughters and myself with very long hair the year before we started homeschooling. It's awful but I really praying that you got rid of them for good.

Muthering Heights said...

Oh NO!!! I hope they all go away soon!!!

Carey-Life in the Carpool Lane said...

You always hear about kids picking up lice at school...I would have thought your family was safe!

No fun! That was nice of the hubby to come home and help...it seems like an awful lot of work to get rid of them all.

Hope everything is better now (and that you had a nice Easter)!

He & Me + 3 said...

You have your work cut out for you. So sorry to hear that. My head is itching now. Hang in there.
That was so great of hubs to come home and help.

Alicia The Snowflake said...

I'm so sorry my friend! That is not fun at all! I had lice in high school. I got it from a little girl on the bus. I was trying to be nice to her bc no one else would let her sit with them. I don't regret the reason. But it wasn't any fun to get rid of them. I hope yours are gone for good!

Eyeglasses & Endzones said...

Yikes! There is one bonus...they had a great photo op in the shower caps!!! So sorry to hear about that...hope it is better fast!

Neisha said...

Alicia, so sorry to hear about your ordeal. I had real long hair when I was younger and it was a magnet for lice. I feel for you and the kids.

Also, I absolutely loved the painting your son did, he is real good. He should pursue art, he would do great!

Susie said...

Oh you poor things!! Lice is one of those things that can get anybody no matter how clean you are. I am glad to hear that you have a place to draw strength from in these trying times.

Stephanie said...

Oh geez...I get it now :) I haven't experienced that but if I ever do I'll be sure to ask you what to do...sounds like you are a pro now!!!!

Glad everyones doing better!

Miti said...

Oh Man, that sucks! I feel like washing my hair right this instant. I can't stop scratching my head now. Those little boogers didn't stand a chance with you. You go girl!

Lori of I'm no super Mom said...

I am so sorry you had to go through that! I haven't dealt with Lice, but we all had scabies last year and it is the same type treatment. I so feel for you.

Darcie said...

Oh...I a so sorry to hear. Our oldest daughter got it when she was in 6th grade. I remember feeling so overwhelmed, she had thick hair past her bottom and we spent endless nights combing through it. That is NO fun, but we laugh about it now and how it freaked us out. This too shall pass...I promise!

Julie said...

Oh No! I'm itching my head after reading that!

hello said...

Oh my Alicia!! You poor thing, and your poor kiddo's... lice is one of my worst nightmares... praise the Lord I have never had to experience it, and I pray I never do. You know whats so weird though, I had a dream about it the other night!!! Then I come on here this afternoon and read your blog, I think I might buy the tree oil shampoo just to help prevent it. (Since Hannah has super long hair and is in school all day, I tell her all the rules... no sharing brushes, hats, hair clips, no hugging or playing with your friends hair, etc. etc. but I am not there to watch her). Praying you got it resolved and will not find anymore lice!

Aubrey said...

Oh. My. Goodness.

No fun at all! Sounds like so much work for an itty bitty pain in the butt! I'm glad you all got through it without having to shave your heads too!

Beth in NC said...

Poor baby! I've never even heard of a "nit" ... what in the world? Anyway, I'm so sorry. I remember feeling a bit freaked out when I saw my daughter's day care allowing them to share helmets -- and I saw them using the same brush on the girls.

I pray you never have to deal with this again. Thanks for giving us a head's-up to be more careful!

Love,
Beth

Daphine said...

Oh girl! I am SO SORRY! Wow! Wow! and WOW! Sounds like you conquered it though! The boys were troopers.....they look adoeable as usual! lol!

Unknown said...

Even in shower caps, they are the cutest kids around! I adore them!

Kelli W said...

Yuck!! I know lice are NO fun!! My boys haven't gotten it before, but I remember getting off the school bus when I was little! It was terrible and you are right VERY hard to get rid of! Sounds like you really know what you are doing, and that you have things going in the right directions now! Cute pictures...shower caps and all!

Laura said...

Oh my goodness, how crazy!!! I just left a comment on your other post asking if your oldest son cut his hair! It looks sooooooo good. I love it short! I have never had lice, and hope I don't have to deal with it when Leah gets older. Glad you guys are done with it!! Hope you notified other people @ church to check their kids' hair!!!

Kari @ A Giveaway Addicted Mommy said...

OH Alicia, you are such a trooper! Nathan came home with a nit from his pre-school and we came home to find that the water was shut off due to something... so we had to find someone to take in my lice-infested child so we could clean him up... easier said than done!

Anonymous said...

I'm so sorry to hear this my dear. Lice always reminds me of Corrie-Ten-Boom who used to thank Jesus for the lice at the concentration camp to have a good attitude, then she realized it kept the guards from going in their quarters.... there is always a reason for everything :)

Love you!

kimmiekat said...

What a lot to deal with. There are almost no words to convey sympathy at this point. Glad you caught them when you did.

Lorie said...

Been there as well....it is NOT PLEASANT. That combing the hair every day is horrible. I know things could be much worse, but lice is not my friend either. I'm sorry you all had to deal with it. I agree about shaving the boys' heads....that's what I would do as well.

Krisha said...

awe...Alicia

That is one thing I would not wish upon anybody! My girls came back from school one day and they all had it in their hair!

They picked it up from one of the girls on the bus. The girls ALL had the lice & me, my hubby & son had nits. It is a pain!

All of my girls were growing their hair and it didn't help that they had thick hair!

It is time consuming and was greatful we were patient enough to comb through the girls hair by small sections.

My hubby & son shaved their hair & we had to cut the girls hair shouler length.

Their hair has finally grown back and I know what you all went through.