Nit Picking

My kids are clean kids. They are almost fanatical about it. They scrub between all their cracks, have learned to brush their teeth until they shine and can't stand sticky hands or messy faces.

A couple of nights ago, I was talking to my friend M... One of her children started scratching their heads. She said, 'Oh the nits are probably back.'

'Hmmmm', thought I. Her kids spend a lot of time with mine. So I asked her what it was like and what to look for, etc.

She told me how they lay little eggs near the scalp which stick to the strands of hair. Once they hatch they are black with a longish body, but still very small. My stomach turned. "I am glad mine have never had that," I remarked.

The next morning while getting mine ready for school, I thought perhaps I better check their shiny clean scalps... just in case.

At first I thought my daughter had sand in her hair, or perhaps grit. Then I saw it. The tiny black 'thing' crawling through her hair. I quickly began inspecting her more closely in all areas, ... uggghhhhhhhhh... EGGS EVERYWHERE! I could see a few more nits crawling around and tried to extract them quickly, my stomach lurching.

I checked my son... clean. Phew. So, with Amelie now being excluded for a day from daycare, it was off to the pharmacy to get the goop. The toxic mix of teatree oil and eucalypt that kills the eggs and live nits.

It was quite cute really. I put her in the bath and we applied the sticky substance, and then she had to put on a green shower cap which was supplied in the kit. She was so good, so patient. We set the timer for 10 minutes and my little angel with eggs in her hair played quietly. When it was time we rinsed, shampooed and conditioned, got out the lice comb and started combing out the eggs. A bit hard to get a three year old to sit still, but she did well, and we got most of the little buggers.

All in all, it was a learning experience for me. I had flashbacks of my mom combing eggs out of my long locks as a child. Amelie was a trooper and got some new shoes out of the ordeal. (which she needed, btw)

Now my only problem is that I freak out when ever I feel the urge to itch my scalp. Stay away, you naughty nits! Who would comb them out of my hair???