Lice!

Ozzy has two jobs to finish ... Check
Dillon has not been out in a while and has some kind of infection ... Check
We are out of gas in the house and it is Sunday so Sonigas is not working today ... Check
We have no cash and the ATM machines are either broken or sketchy ... Check
We have no food ... Check
Mommy's new paddleboard is totally thrashed and cracked and dad thinks he did it ... Check
Mommy is gone and will not be home for at least 20 days ... Check
Daddy has to make Cauliflower Cerviche for Traces's class of 24 kids along with other things ... Check
Kids have lice ... Check ... And cannot go to school ... Check ... And Ozzy has two jobs to finish ... Check ... And mommy is GONE ... Check Check Check

That was what was going on with Ozzy

Mommy just spent four wonderful days in Mexico City with girlfriends ... Check
Mommy is in SLC running errands, picking up mail, just hanging out because mommy just does not want to go to work ... Check
Ozzy emails mommy to let her know the kids have lice, cannot go to school, and he is doing all the necessary measures to kill the lice ... Check
Mommy is sitting back thinking, I am so glad I am not there, while my friend Carrie reminds me once again that my husband is a saint as I agree ... Check

That is what is going on with Mommy

Until Mommy comes home.......
I am not satisfied that the lice is gone so we do a preventative lice shampoo to kind of see where we are with the "buggies". Plus, I don't want to get them! Alex checks out good, maybe one or two dead buggies. On the other hand Traceman is full of them. I start to friek, not in an irate way but in a way of being motivated that this will be the end of lice for us. Ozzy starts to do research as I am throwing questions at him about these buggies.
So, the shampoo kills the lice but the eggs are another deal...?
You kill the lice, but have they already laid eggs?
What kills the eggs?
How many eggs will one lice lay per day?
How long do the lice live in the hair before they lay eggs?
How many eggs do they lay?
What is the incubation period before these eggs hatch?

Too many questions, too many theories on how to get rid of them, where do you start?

We googled everything.
I bought natural oils that can be mixed together to keep the bugs away in the first place...
That is great info but a little too late.
We bought the buggie shampoo and as I said it killed the buggies but when we were combing through the kids hair with the provided comb I started noticing little white things all over Alex's head about 1/4 inch from the scalp. Alex informed me that these were eggs. Alma showed them to her when she was going through her head one day. They look like circles with a tail. I started pulling them out of Alex's hair by the dozens and finally had to quit because Alex was loosing it. I had already done Trace, to a point. It was not just me, Ozzy and I were both going to town in their hair. So they go to school the next day with the oil spray on their hair to keep any newbies from wanting to join the party. That day I am talking to a friend whose kids are at the same school about the eggs situation from the night before and she mentions a vinegar and olive oil solution. After more Google time we learn that the vinegar allows the eggs to detach from the hair but does not kill them, and the olive oil smothers any live buggies. This is the all natural way to kill them. So we say screw the olive oil, we need a full chemical death here. We do the vinegar treatment to release, not kill, the eggs and use a "special comb" borrowed from a friend and OMG we couldn't believe how many eggs came out. Our research showed that this was really the only way to get the eggs out of the hair. Remember, they are not dead, just released. I honestly don't think anything kills them except boiling water and bleach but I am not going to submit my kids heads to either so they are not an option.
So they go to school today and get the usual Friday lice check and Alma passes Alex. From what I understand Alma is a professional in this department so if you pass her test you are good. Trace passes as well. Wahoo! They can go to school on Monday but I am still not satisfied that the buggie eggs are all gone so we do another vinegar treatment tonight for the eggs and a shampoo treatment in the am for the living lice. There are still kids at school who did not pass Alma's test. Are they in Alex or Traces's class? Did the kids get close enough so a buggie could get in our kids hair and start the process all over? When you have a school full of kids with lice it is virtually impossible to get rid of the cycle. We will continue these treatments for as long as we live here, we will use a special comb, we will use a special conditioner that is supposed to prevent the eggs from attaching and we will use the oil treatment to hopefully prevent the buggies from ever coming in the first place. The buggies are not gross, they are not a sign of social status or income level, cleanliness or dirtiness they are just a time consuming pain in the ass.

Since I have been home buggies have taken 3 to 4 hours of my day each and every day. Think about it. I have to wash all of the bed linens every day because a buggie could be on it. I have to go through two kids hair either with vinegar or lice shampoo an then comb the hair with a special comb which takes about one hour per kid. And I have to do this with all of my linens and hair because I cannot not cuddle and love my kids.

Since I first wrote this I have learned that both of the schools, Primaria and the private school Costa Verde, are both infested with lice as well. I have become a professional at this lice thing and have pretty much gotten our lice problem under control which is good because

We have guests and the water pump is not working so we have not had water for two days...Check

I guess it is a good thing that I destroyed my board by getting stuck on the inside and completely pummeled by huge, close together, powerful waves and thrown into the rocks at La Lancha the day before I went to Mexico City, but after I caught one of my most amazing waves ever, because I cannot surf anyway right now because I am instead getting pummeled by Itsy, bitty little buggies and I am trying to stay afloat. Give me the ocean any day because these lice are taking me for a totally different ride.

Who wants to come visit?;) We will send you home with a departing gift!