140/365 - Itchy scratchy

Every so often, my kids' school sends home a slip of paper notifying parents of any contagious diseases that have befallen their classmates....strep throat, pink eye, there was even a report of scabies this year...but nothing makes my skin crawl more than a report of head lice.

Sophie got lice when she was in preschool, and those little buggers were kind enough to set up shop on my head too.  Between her thick locks and my long tresses, I went darn near crazy trying to rid our heads and house of that nasty infestation.  I still frantically check scalps at the slightest scratching and get a little panic-stricken at the possibility that head lice might strike our household again.

When we got the dreaded head lice report in Lucy's backpack earlier this week, I did the obligatory scalp check on each of the kids and watched closely to see if they were scratching behind their ears or the nape of their necks.  Of course, that made me hypersensitive to any itchy scratchy sensations on my scalp too.  I've already decided, if we do have to face this again, that Quinn is just going to get his shaved to reduce the sheer number of heads that need nit picking.

Last night, I dreamed that a strand of hair the size of a willow branch fell off my head, and there about about fifty giant nits clinging to it.  God grant me strength - and a mighty nit comb - if that's an omen.