The Sun Hat

I'm a hat nazi at our house. I don't even like for Evan to walk from the house to the car without a hat on--I prefer sun hats, but I will accept ball caps in a pinch. The hats are in addition to 50 SPF sunscreen I slather on at every opportunity. How on earth this kid has developed three freckles is beyond me. 

He got the hat he is wearing in this picture at the beginning of summer and has been wearing it ever since. He was so excited when we entered a little shop and saw this dog wearing the exact same hat. Evan even asked to have his picture taken next to the pooch. Aren't they sweet? 

I'm a Big Lady

For weeks Evan has been pointing at me and saying, "You're a big lady." I've tried not to take it personally and have hoped that he never points to someone else and says the same thing. A stranger may not take it with a grain of salt like I do. 

Finally I asked Evan why he is calling me a "big lady" and he said, "You can reach the freezer." Ahhh...yes, the freezer. The square box that holds all the juice pops, frozen yogurt and ice cream. It is a wondrous place that Evan can't get to on his own. Now that I know what he is talking about I feel like I hold such power, such strength--I am the freezer keeper! 

A Quiet Trip to the Park

The day started out easy enough. I decided to take a long walk, stop at the park so Evan could play and then planned to come home in time for lunch. We're in the midst of a heat wave today, so I really should have decided to take Evan to the pool instead, but I decided I should try and get a little more exercise.

After an eternity on the swings, Evan was ready to move on to some other equipment. He climbed up one side of a jungle gym apparatus while I moved over to wait at the bottom of the slide. He is easily sidetracked (I think he gets that from me) and stopped to play with a steering wheel. He reached up, let out a loud shriek and pulled away. As I looked up I saw three bees flying away from Evan. I had to coax him over to the slide, then I snatched him up to examine the damage.

There was one mark where he was stung and his hand was already swelling. This being his first bee sting, I had no idea whether he was allergic or not. I've thought about carrying Benadryl with me for just such an occasion, but of course I never went out and bought any. There was no one else at the park, so I couldn't even bum some off of a better prepared mother.

I put Evan in the stroller and RAN home. Literally ran home, dialing information and the pediatrician's office en route. I think my huffing and puffing may have made the doctor's office think it was a prank call since they put me on hold and never came back. I slowed to a fast walk when I called the second time. The nurse asked me if I had any Benadryl. Umm...no...I'm a bad mom. The kind that thinks she should do something, makes a mental note and then never gets back around to it. The nurse told me that it was unlikely he was going to have a breathing problem or else he would already be showing signs, she said. Actually, she was a bit of a smartie pants and the conversation went more like this (imagine the panic-stricken voices you hear on the 911 calls):

Me: "My son just received his first bee sting. What should I do?"
Nurse: "Is he allergic to bees?"
Me: "I don't know. This is his first sting." (My inner monologue: LIKE I JUST SAID LADY!)
Nurse: "Do you have any Benadryl?"
Me: "No. I don't. I don't have any!"
Nurse: "Well, he'd probably already be having trouble breathing if he was allergic."
Me: "How long does it take for breathing problems to occur?" (Inner monologue: Since you really have no idea if by "just" I mean three seconds ago or the five minutes it has taken me to dial information, call you, hold, then call you again and explain the situation).
Nurse: "Well it isn't like it would happen tomorrow."
Me: "Are we talking 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 20 minutes?" (Inner monologue: I really need to switch pediatricians).

Anyway, at that point, I was pretty sure Evan wasn't allergic, but I wanted to be careful. As soon as I got home, I ran in and grabbed my wallet. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. Sweat was dripping from my chin, I had giant sweat rings under my boobs, of all places, and my pits?? Well, let's just say it wasn't pretty. I had calmed down a little by the time I got in the pharmacy. Mainly because as I was walking in, Evan broke free and headed for the candy aisle. At that point I knew the worst was over. I spent $33 on Benadryl and Benadryl-related products, should we ever need them again.

Evan is no worse for the wear and he even conned me out of some Tic Tacs. And as for me--I'm thinking I really need to take up running just in case I ever need to conquer the neighborhood hills again.