Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Killer Bees in Gramerly Woods

We interrupt the exciting vacation memoirs to bring you late breaking news from Gramerly Woods.
Today as we were traipsing in the deep dark forest during our weekly playdate, a terrible fate befell us there. Dreadful I tell you, it was dreadful!
This year we have two sweet young ladies helping with playdate. I call them AL-ee and AND-ee.
My friend, Miss Glitzy, her little one Siddee, along with Linee, Antebellie, Bugg, Raina and the Bean were having a big muddy time in the wee creek that flows through the deep dark forest and were preparing to exit. I was standing at the top waiting as Miss Glitzy was leading the girls up through the woods with AL-ee and AND-ee following close behind. Mr. Bean, thank the Good Lord headed on down through the creek on his own. Glitzy stepped her black bejeweled sandal right on a ground bee's nest and for the next fifteen minutes (seemed like an hour) absolute chaos ensued. You have never heard such caterwauling in all your days. Dreadful-it was dreadful.
Glitzy hopped out of the fray thinking her foot had suddenly spontaneously combusted, three of the wee ones ran through, with bees attached to two, while one stood practically on the nest, too frightened and hysterical to move while one was heading right into it. I'm swatting bees on babies, trying to get the one out of the war zone and keep the other one from going in. Finally, I just reached over, grabbed the nest dweller and sailed her over my shoulder to her Mama, then tried to instruct the one turning back where there were still bees attached, so she could remove them and thus concentrate on the stings she'd already gotten. Despite using all my calming skills, I could not get one girl calm, before another went off. Even one's who weren't stung were hysterical. Finally, after getting the last bee out of Antebellie's hair, we got them all down and at least moving in the right direction.
You've never seen a sadder bunch of muddy, teary babies in all your days.
Interestingly enough, the playdaters who remained didn't even hear the wailing until Glitzy arrived with the news and some reinforcement showed to help comfort the wailers. I scrapped all stings with a credit card, got ice packs and Benedryl for all. Then made strawberry milkshakes to hopefully end the day on a happier note.
I have been so truly blessed. This is summer number four that I've had Playdate. A scratch or a mosquito bite is the worst we've ever had to show for it. Glitzy and AND-ee were the worst stung and had the most reaction, which wasn't fun, but wasn't anywhere as awful as it could be.
AL-EE is allergic to bees. She wasn't stung at all-a miracle. Later she found a bee in her clothes, and still she wasn't stung. As for me, I don't even want them to get the smallest scratch when they are here, but again, we have been so blessed and I am truly thankful to God for His angels watchin' over me and mine!
Glitzy parted ways with her black bejeweled sandal in the bee nest and Brave Handy Man faced the fearful bees to rescue it for her. He had to get it with a stick cause they mistook it for a tasty treat.
I've never found myself in such a situation where everyone needs you at once and where it had the potential for being a very serious situation. My heart goes out to people who are put in a position of not being able to help everyone and having to choose. It is an awful feeling.
What a day. I see a long hot bath in my future.

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