Careful What You Wish For...

because you just might get it. And boy, oh, boy did I ever!

This whole weekend I kept wishing I had another day "off". Just to chill out and get laundry done and a few other odds and ends taken care of. As my alarm rang at 5 a.m. I got out of bed and started our morning routine. We even got out of the house in record time. I went to school, copied my test, went up to my classroom and even entered grades! Wow! Period 1 was even pretty productive: we reviewed the verb "Aller" (to go) in the present tense with a really fun folding paper game I created on the spot. I had just given the practice work from the text book when the secretary buzzed into the room:

-Hello, Mrs. P?

-Yes?

-You have a phone call on line 79. It's St. Mary's School. They say it's important.

-Uh. Ok. Can I get someone to cover my class so I can get to the phone. (nope, no direct lines into the classrooms; we need to go to the closest office to take any calls)

Sub comes in and I rush to the phone thinking the worst: Swine Flu! Or worse! Who knows; I just know crytic messages like that don't help to calm a parent down, ya know?

-Hello, This is Mrs. P...

-Oh, hi! This is Mrs. E; the school nurse. It seems like your daughter has lice.

-Really? Wow.

-Yes. You're going to have to come pick her up.

-Ok..I'll be there in 30 minutes or so. Need to get some lessons ready as I need to leave school.

Then I rush around like a looney tunes to let administration know I have to leave pronto. Call in for a sub, beg (well, not really beg, but request nicely) my coworker to cover my Period 3 class as they're having a Unit Test and she actually speaks French and can do the listening section with them. Run out of the school and proceed to pick up my lice-infested daughter at her school.

I make my way to Whole Foods to get something natural, non-chemical, to rid her of the nasty lice I now imagine to be laying eggs of all sorts and crawling around in her hair. Thank goodness the lady working in the "medicine" aisle actually knew something about the products to use and suggested some special shampoo, conditioner and some teatree oil. She was apparently the person at an elementary school who would be the nit-picker/spotter. She looked through Maddy's hair and declared she didn't see anything. Nor did I.

But, to be on the safe side, we bought the above "remedies" and treated ourselves to some pasteries and juice and a cute little tote made of recycled materials and hit Target to pick up new brushes and combs for our entire family.

After having Maddy shower and wash her hair with the special shampoo and conditioner, I combed through her hair. Now my problem is that I saw white stuff. It didn't blow away when I blew at it, but I swear it was scalp crap, not nits. I'm too big of a weeney to google the image of a nit to be sure so instead I lubed her hair up with mayo, wrapped it in saran wrap and plan to keep her in it for the day. I wash it out tonight and see if there's anything there.

In the meantime, I've stripped her bed of her sheets, blankets, pillows etc. and put them through a hot wash. All stuffed animals have been banned to big garbage bags and will remain there for a couple of weeks--just in case.

My only problem now is I can't help scratching my head--I'm totally paranoid I'll be next with lice! ACK!