So this one is not for the faint of heart. As you may recall we were off school on Wed. for Typhoon Kampasu. So Thursday, kids had a bath, are going to bed. What should I discover? Head Lice!!!!!! I know that I am doctor and this is something that happens with kids, it is not that they are unclean blah! blah! blah! I am sorry, but for me after a month in China, taking my hits, this one about threw me over the edge. I can handle blood, guts, vomit, poop, but there is something about infestation that really grosses me out. It is one of those sensitivity buttons for which rational thought is at least 8 hours from surfacing. I can't handle infestation of any kind. I read once about a snake infestation in the south, that made my skin crawl for weeks after. The idea of creepy crawlies in my kids hair....... Of course I may be having flash backs of when I was a kid and came back from camp, having to use the shampoo with my parents checking my scalp. I remember being mortified then. Or is it the fear of being infected as well? My kids get scared or lonely at night, especially in China and come cuddle in bed. The questions start rising in my mind... How are we going to contain this, my washer and drying are the size of a postage stamp? Where do I get the shampoo and tools to kill the nasty buggers? What about disinfecting every inch of my 4 level China villa? This was definitely a China moment, where you feel a little lost and overwhelmed. I feel I am being indoctrinated into stay-at-home motherhood as if I am being hazed for a fraternity.
After I climbed down from the ledge ha ha.... I called the school nurse, who was wonderful, and told me where to get the supplies I need. She was thankful that I reported the problem so as to prevent further spreading. Of course this happened on the morning of the new parent meeting/coffee at school, which I previously was looking forward to. Now I have all my kids home again with a huge task ahead of me. So I went, but was clearly distracted. I met up with another IBM wife, who I barely know, but somehow I felt I could confide in her. She was amazing. Immediately she eased my anxiety, she had just gone through this back at home, she had supplies to share, and sanity that my whole house is not going to be overrun with the creepy crawlies. When I got to the pharmacy and asked for the appropriate product, they smiled, we have been waiting, this is the time of year that we sell lots of our lice kits, you are our first one. Uggggg!!!
Obviously the kids stayed home for a second day this week for head cleansing and and combing. When I got home with all the goods, my Ayi was making progress in the bedding washing department. JP had found some scissors and made a feeble attempt at cutting his hair. Poor guy, he just wanted the buggies out. It wasn't that bad, you can kind of comb over some of it. Anderson is also sporting a new and shorter do, thanks to Dad. I spent the day washing, sanitizing, bagging up toys, in order to contain this mess.
Then the email came out. "Two cases of lice in the Elementary school." If anyone knew that my kids are the subjects in all the health related emails coming out of this school....Really!!! We haven't been in school two weeks. What I didn't blog about is that I got a call from the nurse earlier in the week, Jackson had diarrhea. They gave him some Smecta, I still need to look it up and figure out what it is, and sent him back to class... Please, let it be someone else's turn next.
The good news is that we found a babysitter and we had planned a date night that night. After my day I was looking forward to a nice dinner and a cocktail. We went to a very hip Japanese Restaurant in the French Concession area. I ordered a martini, which is a rarity for me, but the occasion called for it. I got a shot of vodka in a low ball glass. disappointment..... Oh well, this is China.
Gotta go baby is crying and Steve is getting ready to leave, for a meeting. Yes it Sunday morning.......what.... Emmy puked in her bed overnight!!!!!!
Addendum 9/7/10: Mom sick with the stomach flu Sunday night, Jackson in the nurses office on Monday with a tummy ache, Anderson sent home from school on Tues. vomiting. That about does it :^)
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