So Disturbing

I was combing Hunter's hair yesterday when I spotted a large bug on his head. I have to say I handled it like a little girl. I yelped and jumped and freaked him out. Then tried to say "don't move-hold still--let me get it." Surprisingly he did let me get it. He was even saying "let me see! let me see!" I grabbed the closest thing to me--a pair of Logan's red pants--and tried to smash the offending bug before removing it. Not the brightest plan--I know--but there was adrenaline and freaking out--so it was the best I could do. It did not smash--eeeewww--it continued to wiggle which continued to freak me out--so I grabbed it with the pants and pulled it off his head. I actually had to tug at it, and when a tiny piece of his scalp came away with the bug that was when it occurred to me that maybe it was a tick and maybe I should have been a bit more careful about removing it. I still have the heebeejeebeez while I am typing this.

I put the offending critter in a jar with some water so that we could identify it later and I had to run the boys to gymnastics. When we got back we got out the bug to the utter facination of the children, and looked at it with aa magnifying glass--not a good one either. I figured I had better see if the mandibles and head were still attatched to the thing. We looked at it for a while--it was laying on it's back perfectly dead looking--legs stiff--straight up in the air. I thought I still better save it and show it to Mark--he is pretty familiar with ticks--this is my first one--obviously.

I put it in a baby food jar, no water and set it down--until my mom came in. I went to get the jar--and no tick. WHAT?!! We freaked out again looked everywhere for the bug--couldn't figure out how the dead bug had gotten out of the jar--until Trinity recognized that we had the wrong jar. Sheesh. So we located the correct jar to show Mom the dead bug and when we picked it up the bug started scampering all over the bottom of the jar. Yup--we freaked out again. What a night. The kids loved every minute of it.

I hope it is another 36 years before I see another tick. I am not counting on it.