Despiojar

Despiojar = to delouse

Yup, you read that right. My Spanish vocabulary now includes delousing.

I spent the entire day Monday with the Hijas de Maria hogar. As it turns out, Monday was the day that the girls are checked for, and cleaned of their small passengers (piojos = lice). Put twenty or so little girls in a small living space and lice are pretty much a constant problem.

Here are the despiojar–ing steps.

1. Place a towel on your lap

2. Have one of the hijas sit below your chair on a little stool, or in our case, an upside down garbage can.

3. Apply copious amounts of baby oil to their hair. This makes it easier to get things out.

4. Pull a lice comb through their hair. After each stroke, check the comb to see if there are any piojos.

5. If any lice are found on the comb, brush the still live lice onto the towel or t-shirt on your lap.

6. Once you have gotten what is hopefully all the lice out, have the hija turn around and systematically squish each and everyone of the lice that are crawling about on your lap.

7. When the last lice has been killed, go through the girls hair section by section and pull out the eggs (liendras) with your nails. Squish each egg between your finger nails after it is out of their hair.

8. Repeat steps 1-7 for each of the following hijas.

Is your head itching yet?