Lice Lessons....

Yes, you read right....

Lessons learned from L. I. C. E.

On Saturday afternoon McCauley came to me with a very
concerned look on her face,
she held out her fingers and said,
Mom, look what I just found in my hair.
smashed bug.

Big Eyes.

I took her into the bathroom and started rummaging around
in her hair.
I found a few more tiny bugs.
I could SEE THEM WALKING AROUND!
I always thought lice were microscopic or something....
Not Even
...you can see them with your bare eyes!

Now, why in the WORLD would I care to share this news with
the general public??

Why?
Why?
Why?
Maybe if we just keep hush, hush, I could sweep it under the rug and
 this mortifying embarrassment might never be known by others.
You could go on thinking we are only slightly ghetto.
An almost perfect, sort of clean, normalish family.

I want to share it because it did happen.
I count it as a valuable learning experience, mostly for myself.
I don't want to forget my LICE lessons, and thought maybe you could
relate on some level.
..................

When McCauley told me, and then I found them,
 I felt myself go into defense mode.
I could literally feel the transition in my mind and body.
All systems focused in and ready to bear down....
for lack of a better word.

I saw Saturdays plans dissolve and change immediately,
and Sundays,  .....
I needed urgent assistance.

I said ok, M, get in the tub and lets have you scrub up.
I will make some calls and go and get the supplies....
whatever they are.


NO MOM!
Lice hold their breath in water!
They thrive in water....I should not get my hair wet.
Um......
I don't know, I think starting with a fresh head seems like a good idea
for the solution.

I really don't want to.
Well, that's ok, hop in.
I will be home in a few and we will get er done.

My number one go to lice expert friend was not answering her phone.
My second experienced friend told me about RID.....
get it at CVS, so that is where I headed.
Got it.
(Paid full price, skipped on the off brand.....this must be serious!)


Rushed back, read the instructions.

Head must be completely dry.
Lice can hold their breath for up to 2 hours in water.

Huh.
Ok.
She blew her hair dry while I set up shop.
(I know you are probably thinking she blew lice out of her hair....
I was just thinking that as well as I typed it.)

Chemicals go on.....we follow instructions.

Phase two.

Now begins the house tear apart.
The sheets, beds, pillows, blankets,
cushions, floors, counters, blinds, stuffed animals, helmets,
van seats, couches, chairs.......

Wash, wash, WASH.....wash.....wash.
Vacuum.
Boil.
Wipe.
Clorox.
Sanitize.
and bag.

When I was growing up I knew of this girl that went to school with me.

She went to the same school with me for several years.

I want to say through high school, if not at least part of it.

She was the only person that I knew of that ever had lice.

But the word was that she always had lice.

ALWAYS.

So everyone was always afraid to get by her.

To sit by her.

To get close because we were so afraid to get lice.

We heard they can jump, you MUST stay your distance.

I never got to know this girl, 

I am not the only one.

I wonder if anyone got to know this poor girl.

This is where my lice fobia began.

In my mind since that time I have been above lice.

My family was above lice.

It really never came to my mind that any of my children would 

come home with lice.

That is not for us.

We will politely pass on this one, thanks.

I know I sound like such a judge mental jerk right now,

I see the words, I am hearing the words,

but I never felt like I was passing judgement....

I just always thought, man, I am glad we don't get lice.

I would never want to deal with that.

So here we are,

the instructions say to get your child sitting in front of a distraction

while you rake the special killing gel through their hair  

using a dangerous looking, hard metal, 

tight toothed comb thing.

I had M sit in front of me on my chair and let her choose the 

Mormon Messages we watched together.

Several times over the combing, 

applications of this and that,

stripping sheets,

multiple washings

with her head bent over in the tub...what ever....

 she commented

at how fun this was to do together.

What an adventure!

She liked my combing out her hair,

and WOW, wasn't that a great message?

yes.

yes....it was a very good message.

Later that night, my expert friend called my cel phone.

She told me RID was not enough.

That lice have built up a tolerance for the pesticide, and that 

I wasn't even close to being through for the night.

oh?

Kev and I had gone to Orlando, luckily we were headed home.

M would need her head saturated in olive oil, 

and then she needs 

to sleep in a plastic cap, in the morning I will again need to comb this

through and get any remaining "debri"out.

She told me I could drive by and get a kit she would put together 

for me, including a 3 week calendar I would need to 

follow for reapplication.

Say what??

Oh...and you will need to treat yourself.

No.

I don't have lice....my head doesn't even itch....

well except for right now because we are talking about it.

No, I don't want to.

You have to treat yourself.

I will think about it.

K and I rushed back home.

I picked up the very helpful kit, and at around 10:30 pm

saturated my little buddy's hair with olive oil and 

put her in her stylish plastic cap.

I tucked the toilet paper in around the edges like my friend instructed, 

to catch the drips and excess.

M looked like a little sweet heart.

I got a photo, but she asked me not to post it.

She said she didn't mind me writing about her experience if 

it might help someone else, 

but please not the photo.

So I will sadly refrain.

The next morning, which would be Sunday before my meeting,

M and I were back in by the computer.

We took the soggy cap off and I began the comb through 

again, little sections at a time.

I was 100% certain I would not find a single thing in her hair....

probably this was just an extra precaution.

So you can imagine my surprise.....

yet again

when low and behold, I did in fact comb out some lice.

I really want to say debri!

Why is it so hard for me to face that word?

I combed out some living lice,

that I murdered.

As I was combing, 

and we were watching more Mormon Messages,

McCauley said mom,

thank you so much.

I love you combing through my hair.

It feels so good.

During the night my head itched so badly,

I wanted to scratch in those places you are getting.

I wouldn't let myself.

Now, each time I feel an itch, you go to that spot next and 

it feels so wonderful.

Thank you.

Honey, you are welcome.

I am happy to do this for you....I like it to.

Unbeknownst to her,

 tears are streaming down my face.

For many reasons.

Tears of wonderment that she and I could get so much 

satisfaction in our "accidental forced time" together.

Tears of sadness and regret while thinking back over

and over of the young girl I grew up with.

Knowing that her lice experiences had not been so kind.

Wondering if she ever had her hair combed through.

Did she have a mom to help her with the itchiness?

I don't think so.

I got M settled, and instructed the boys to be ready.

Dad would be dropping them at church on 

his way back out of town.

I would head home after my meeting to be with M.

As I was driving over to church in our van....

my thoughts went to my Heavenly Father.

Going over the events, 

giving thanks for this experience.

Repenting, and praying for the girl from my youth.

At one point the thought again came to my head,

like, I really thought we wouldn't get lice,

I thought we were above that.

My impressions were instant....

in a loving way...almost laughing....as if I was a three year old 

and my father had both my cheeks.

Oh my dear, you are above nothing.

You are the same as all my children.

No trial is beneath you.....

and you are worthy of all trials, just like everyone else.

 really?

I don't know if I want that.

That is the way it is.

Discovering lice turns out to be not as terrifying as I had

always feared.

Maybe a little exhausting.

This experience was a blessing.

A wake up call.

A nudge in the right direction.

A chance to humble myself with assistance.

An opportunity to serve my little girl.

A gift to slow down and learn from spiritual messages

that are always at my disposal, but rarely taken advantage of.

A forced spring cleaning that was way over due.

I am grateful my Father knows me, and that I can learn what is 

intended for me to gain from each experience in this 

adventurous and blessed life.

Here is one of McCauley and I's favorite messages.

Thank you to my expert friend....for everything!

She finally did convince me to "treat" myself by letting me know

that if I did the olive oil treatment, it would leave my hair

healthy, soft, and silky.

OK, ok!!

I'm in!