Would you like cucumbers with that?

We went to the doctor today. I was sure Natalie had an infection. She's been coughing like crazy for several days and yesterday started coughing up yellow gunk (sorry, but it's true!). We got in and the doctor checked her well. She said it's a wheezy cough & she needs her inhaler 3x a day, but no infection. She also told me, when I asked the ever curious, "Is she contagious?" question, that she's as contagious as anyone with a cold, but she wouldn't quarantine her. Then I asked about lice. She asked what we had used. I ran down the list. She said to try the olive oil method. I told her I'd done hair gel (didn't mention mayo, but she said mayo or olive oil helps). Again, the, "Would you let your kids go to school like this?" She said if they are not at the scalp, but further down the hair shaft, and if there are no live bugs, it's okay to go in public. So, we thought it would be okay to go to co-op tomorrow. I did want to get some input from some of the other moms at co-op, and they were still a bit leary of us coming if there were any nits in the hair. Natalie also had a live louse on her LEG today! She was on the couch, which is where Phil was when he found one on his ARM. Phil JUST sprayed the couch last night.

At Wal-Mart, we picked up olive oil, or EVOO as Rachael Ray says (that stuff is expensive!) and fumigators for the house. A friend had told me 2 weeks ago that a vet said to use cattle dip on the kids, but I was so sick then that I put it aside. I thought of it now & then, but was trying this other stuff. Tonight she saw him again & he said we could use it to spray in the car, the furniture, floor, etc. He also said to bomb the house. Phil suggested bombing a different house, but we prefer him here to prison, so I nixed that idea. We'll settle for bug bombs in our house. Another friend told me about these new type of fumigators that don't leave residue, so we'll try that first. If we still have live bugs, we'll do the cattle dip. Maybe we should pick up a cow while we're at it. The vet assured us that the dip is totally safe. It is the same medicine that's used as heartworm medicine, and is completely safe.

I've washed more loads of laundry (have I mentioned that I've done laundry a lot lately?) and dried them thoroughly on hot. I sprayed the beds and couch with what was left of the Nix Spray, then vacuumed the couch. Natalie washed her hair, then I decided to comb through before taking action. If there were live bugs, I'd do nix (chemicals). If not, I'd do olive oil. With Bethany, I have found several nits. Natalie had ONE tonight. We think. IF that was a nit. So, I covered her hair in olive oil & put a shower cap on her. Bethany is in the tub now. She's next. The dr. told us we have to rinse it with 1/2 vinegar, 1/2 water. So, I'm thinking olive oil & vinegar....we just need some lettuce & cucumbers and we're ready for lunch!

I THINK Natalie has finally got all of her anger out of her system. She LOVES our homeschool co-op. This is our 4th week to miss (the first was for the funeral). She is VERY unhappy that the doctor said she was good to go if there were no nits by the scalp & no live bugs. I didn't tell her that the one nit I found wasn't right at the scalp. Her cough is really more concerning to me than the nits. She sounds horrible.

So, tomorrow if we can cover everything food related, we'll set off the fumigators & head out somewhere. Somewhere free. Where we don't have to spend money. I think the downtown library!

I'm off to find some tomatoes now.

P.S. Just checked through Bethany's hair & also nothing living except hair! I think there was one nit. She looked through mine and found no live bugs. YEA! I'll wash it & do olive oil on myself tonight, too. Dare I hope we are near the end?