Mystery Solved

So we're away on a Cranston weekend, all residing at a huge posh house down near Salisbury with a couple who are Steve's uncles friends who say 'yah' rather than 'yeah' and shop at Waitrose, (and they're very lovely, I'm not judging, just commenting).

They have a Welsh springer called Baggins who was shut out for most of the weekend due to some family members not liking dogs (poor thing, his own home!) and there are three generations of Cranstons there on this reunion.  It's a big deal.

So on the Saturday we discover whilst bathing Joel that he has head lice.

What great timing.

Yesterday morning I visited Salisbury to call into a pharmacy (Boots was open) and bought two bottles.  One for me and Steve to use and one for Joel (suitable for over 6 months but under 2 years).

I just kept thinking that he'd got them from nursery.  Turns out there's another answer.

Wendy had been watching Steve's youngest brother for any signs and when he scratched his head she borrowed my nit comb to have a delve on his head and triumphantly found one on closer inspection so he was dragged off for a proper comb and shampoo.

30 minutes later she came back down to say that he was likely the source.  He was riddled.  As he is 14 she said she hadn't considered checking him for ages and hadn't noticed how long he must have been scratching.  She said she found thousands and his hair was moving.  *shudder*  She also asked me to not tell the other boys as he was very sensitive about it and didn't want teasing.  How he could not have noticed I don't know.  His head must have been irritated beyond belief.

It must have been at Joel's party two weekends ago.  He had held him for a photo, involving close heads.  Give it a week and the eggs laid at that point must have hatched last weekend.  I'd noticed Joel rubbing his head about Wednesday of last week but just thought he was rubbing his eyes and head in a general tired motion.  We did find a bug in his hair last Wednesday afternoon but it was just the one and we removed it and presumed it to be something else as we couldn't see properly that it was a louse.  It seemed too big.  That must have been the nasty big mama.

I feel horrible for not realising sooner.  I feel horrible as my head is still itching today after everything and I'm going to have to use more lotion as I don't feel clean.  And I feel awful for possibly introducing the lice at his nursery and having to tell them tomorrow that we've had to douse Joel's head in nit cream and comb.  I can still see lots of eggs (nits) at the roots of his hair behind his ears which the comb missed as it's not fine enough which should be killed anyway by the lotion but I don't like them being there.  I'm trying to go through his hair like a monkey but he won't take much of it as it's getting in the way of playing.

What a palava.