Thursday, January 10, 2008

Ack!

One of my prior classes, I had to tutor an elementary student. I tutored a 4th grader that lives on my street, and even though I no longer have to tutor her, she still comes over on Wednesday nights, eats dinner with us, and I help her with her homework. It gets kind of stressful when Ray isn't around (he works late on Wednesdays), but I make it work.

So yesterday, Jessica promptly sits down at the island in my kitchen where we do work and announces she has lice.

And I about fell over and screamed get out.

But I didn't, I asked her to explain, and come to find out, she had lice, as in past tense.

Yuck.

Seems she borrowed a girl's hairbrush in her class, and that's how she got it. I have no experience with lice whatsoever and I hope to keep it that way.

On a completely unrelated note, and I totally realize I am completely jinxing myself (but heck, I am not home for bedtime for the next two nights, so ha!), Audrey's bedtime routine thingy is getting a little easier. I had recalled watching a part of some Super Nanny show where the kid wanted the parent to stay in the room until they fell asleep. Super Nanny had the parent sit with their back to the bed, and over time, position themselves so that they moved out of the room, going further each night.

Monday night, I was in the room and it took 2 hours, Tuesday night I was close to the door and it took 2 hours, and last night I was in the hallway where she could pretty much only see my feet (I was laying on the floor reading a book by the light of the bathroom, crazy, I realize, but I am tired of falling asleep myself while waiting for her to fall asleep, so I decided to read). And it only took an hour last night. I am thinking this is working.

Don't get me wrong, though, she is still waking up in the middle of the night. We have her mattress on the floor and she keeps rolling off of it. I have no idea how to keep her on it...without putting up rails which she catapulted over the night we had them up.

I was so happy with last night's success, I just wanted a darn cookie.

16 comments:

emily said...

You deserve a cookie... darn dog.

You handled the lice situation very nicely :)

Sabrina said...

Have you thought about using a bedrail? I'd give you ours but we sold it. Emily kept falling out of her bed so we bought one of those bedrails to keep her in her bed.

We did the whole "moving away from the bed" thing also :) That worked! Good luck!

Rachel (Crazy-Is) said...

Damn dogs.

I don't know if you know, but Supernanny has a book out. Might be at your library.

SJINCO said...

A cookie you should have indeed! I'm glad that something is working.....

I hate falling asleep while waiting for my kids to fall asleep, especially when I have so many things to do!

MMmmm cookies....

Mel said...

Thanks...now my head is itching! Even being a school teacher I have been lucky to not have experienced lice as of yet. That is too funny about your dog, I could really use a chocolate chip cookie right now.

Pam said...

You do deserve a cookie....too bad I don't have any to share with you!

Lice---yuk! And, seeing as you want to be a teacher....well, keep your hair short, tied back, use gel and a hair dryer EVERY day and keep the kids are arms distance.

Wendy said...

lice...no fun! Being a preschool teacher we were constantly fighting the little boogers!

Glad to hear that things are getting better:)

Misty said...

you deserve more than cookie!

Laura said...

Mmmm cookie - cookie good

Yuk lice...lice not good!

frannie said...

It's going to be a long process, but you will get there!

She won't be going to college and asking you to tag along so she can see your feet in the hallway! :)

Anonymous said...

I giggled at you lying on the floor reading a book :) I'm dreading the move to a toddler bed. If Morgan has freedom, she'll use it.

A cookie? You deserve more than a cookie!!

Anonymous said...

You deserve 2 cookies at least.

Hope that things continue to get better!

Daisy said...

Ah, the lice thing. Those darn creatures spread much too easily. I've taught for years, and (knock on wood) never caught them.

my4kids said...

Yeah you don't want to ever experience the lice thing with your kids. Mine got it once at daycare and it was a nightmare to get rid of! Now I am super paranoid about it and panic whenever one of them itches their heads.

I had to do the same thing with Izzak to get him to sleep in his own bed. He was not a fan! Also he was getting up all the time at night at that age. He sleeps great now, except for the sleepwalking!

Steph said...

Just reading about lice gives me the creeps! Hope I never have to deal with those nasty things!:)

I am dreading when it comes time to put Logan into a bed...I think I will have to use some of your tricks on him. Keep us posted on how it all works out!

Anonymous said...

I´m new to your blog, but I have a son the same age as your littlest one. He moved to a bed at the tender age of 18 months because his baby brother needed the crib (having outgrown the bassinet).

We just stuck a bookshelf along the top side of the bed, with the back facing the bed. It makes a nice, low barrier and he´s only fallen out once, when he wriggled down too far. It is a bit easier than bars or bedrails.