Busy bees

We had one of those scary parenting moments tonight that gives me goose bumps when I think about it.

Carter was playing next door with the neighbor kids. Jim and I were flipping through the channel guide trying to figure out if there was anything worth watching. That's when we heard the screaming.

Now it's not unusual to hear screaming in a neighborhood full of girls. Carter and Sam (the only other boy in the subdivision) get a kick out of chasing the girls around and making them scream.

Jim recognized right away that this was a different kind of scream. He muted the TV, stood by the window and that's when we realized the boys were screaming, too. We instinctively booked it out of the house as fast as we could, through the trees to the neighbor's yard where the kids were covered in bees!

All the parents must have heard at the same time. We all converged on the kids, tearing their clothes off and sending them running for their houses. I followed Carter into the house and got him into a cold shower and he just couldn't stop screaming and crying. I've never felt so helpless!

Meanwhile, Jim -- who is deathly allergic to bees -- is still out by the road, killing all the bees off Carter's clothes and shoes. Thank God he didn't get stung, too. And thankfully, Carter didn't show signs of an allergic reaction.

Jim called the ER for some treatment advice while I took out 5 stingers. All totaled, Carter had 10 stings. He was actually lucky. I think he had the least of the kids and the neighbor girls' dad, who estimates he got 60-70 stings while trying to help his girls. What a nightmare! In my head, I can still just hear these kids screaming in pain.

Carter already stated he is not going outside tomorrow either. I can't blame him after the trauma, but I pointed out that both Mommy and Daddy are allergic and we still go outside in the summer. Though I'm a little leery, too.

As the ER nurse warned us, Carter's stings are starting to itch now. He knows not to touch them. "I'm gonna tough it out, Mom," but it could be a long night. I don't know if I'll be that tough. I might have to sleep with him!

Be careful out there! And don't forget to hug your honeys today!