Summer Camp and LICE

Dear Blog-
I am sorry that I haven't written anything in you for so long. It's just that summer has been so busy, fun, but very busy. I have been out of all my normal routines and often out of my house. My poor house is looking very neglected but at least we all have clean clothes to wear, tomatoes and pumpkins planted, and the water well watered from the sprinkler.
I would like to spend a whole day catching up on reading all of my favorite blogs. Some how I can't see that happening any time soon. I will just have to sneak a peak at blogs here and there, when I can. I am secretly hoping that all my blogger friends have been slacking this summer too!
Our summer started out with a week of day camp for Sadie and Nathan. The camp was from 9:00am until 4:00pm Monday through Friday with an optional sleep over on Thursday night. My plan was that Nathan would sleep over and that Sadie would come home that night. I assumed that a sleep over in a new place would not be her thing and might cause a lot of anxiety. Truthfully when I put her on the camp bus Monday morning I was very nervous that she would not want to go back the next day. Sadie came home that afternoon bubbling over with excitement. She loved every minute and couldn't wait to sleep over (wahoo)!
Sunday morning before camp the worst thing in the world happened... Yes....LICE! Nathan had been complaining that his head itched. My boys have very sensitive skin, so I assumed it was dry skin. When he wouldn't stop complaining I did a little head check and found...yuck yuck...nits. My head itches just writing about it!
We stayed home from church, washed his hair with toxic lice shampoo, washed and vacuumed EVERYTHING in our house and between loads of laundry I was on the Internet doing research. My head instantly started to itch and I was begging Eli, Nathan and my husband to check my head. Each of them would oblige and look through my hair for about 30 seconds and tell me I did not have lice, but my head continued to crawl. That evening I saw a BUG actually crawl our of Nathan's hair (yes this was after the lice shampoo). Talk about freaking out an already slightly neurotic mother. I couldn't take anymore!
I decided to take the advice of some of the things I read on the Internet and I sent hubby to Costco for a crap load of Olive Oil. I poured oil on every ones head, including my own, and wrapped heads in shower caps and bandannas. I sent the kids to camp the next morning praying they wouldn't say anything to anyone. After I got on the bus I got back on the computer. I found the best thing ever (right next to Coffee)!

Did you know that there are salons that just take care of those nasty critters?

Holy Cow it was awesome. I made an appointment for that morning, drove almost an hour, and the place was packed. I was shocked. I completely imagined a little office space where it would just be me and some lady looking through my hair for bugs. They checked my hair (no bugs, whew), then they sent me home with comprehensive instructions and some NON TOXIC natural products. The products completely took care of the pest. Just so you know, if you want to pay them to treat and comb through your child hair in the salon they will. It is a little expensive, but it was such a relief to have experts take the time to look through my hair. I have a massive amount of curly hair and would have gladly paid them to take care of my hair had I needed it.

So enough about those buggers....

Summer camp was an absolute success! She loved her camp counselor, made several friends (but can't remember their names), and is excited to go back next summer. I am learning to trust that Sadie is ready for new adventures and that she can be successful in many situations.

I promise to write again soon. I would love to fill you in on how I am doing with not over analizing Sadie's behavior and summer sleep habits.

*Now my friends know why I avoided them for a week, sorry I didn't want to share, call me selfish.
**Many of my childhood diary entries started the same way this blog started.