What’s buzzing in my ear?

A little unexpected drama today, but nothing I couldn’t handle. I ran over to a friend’s house with Alan to feed their cats. Alan wanted to run around their yard for a while which was cute, because he was calling for my friends trying to find them, and I was trying to explain that they were away. We stopped to rest on their swing, and the next thing I know, we were attacked by bees. We must have disturbed a nest. I started swiping them – one seemed stuck in my hair by my right ear, and Alan just stood beside me screaming. I scooped him up and bolted up the hill.

Visions of anaphylactic shock filled my over dramatic imagination. I avoided being stung, but after checking Alan over, I found a bee sting on his left hand. Thank god for cell phones. I whipped mine out and started barking orders to Roger and Pop-Pop, “Call Mommy at work, tell her Alan’s been stung by a bee, and have her call back me in 30 minutes.” (My mom’s a nurse).

I held Alan tight in my arms while he cried, and I tried to figure out my next step in getting him to feel better so we could get home to better assess the situation. I fumbled around my duffle bag searching for some cold cream and at the bottom of the bag was a…….
lollipop.
Alan said, “Lollipop?”

We drove home calmly.

My mom called as scheduled, and together we evaluated the situation. She directed me to make a baking soda paste. Alan was reluctant for me to touch him with the paste, so I had to add a little humor, and put some on my nose. He basically smeared the paste all over surfaces in the playroom including the couch, but he was his playful self. The swelling went down significantly, and after checking him over, there weren't any other sting bites.

At least now I can cross bee allergies off my worry list. Does baking soda paste stain? ( a chore awaits me tomorrow)

For more info on bee stings and toddlers, go to: http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/toddler/toddlerills/todbites/11226.html

Suzanne: Remember when we were little at Grandpa Tag’s house and you got stung by a bee and Grandpa put a silver dollar on your arm?

In other news:

Jamie and Darius stopped over today and the children had fun playing on the porch with a collection of wind-up toys (no batteries necessary!) We have about 25 of them! My mother-in-law is the one who is the genious that brought them over....I think I am starting to value the anti-electronic childhood…..Later, Eileen and her girls stopped over. Stella sure is crawling. I have a drawer of toys for her that Alan has outgrown. I call it “Stella’s Station” (like the Saugerties restaurant). Alan really has taken a liking to Stella. She’s a year and a half younger, and I was pleased that he gave her a toy to play with.