I've had my Fill!

Of leaves that is. We have SO many leaves around here. This pile is one of 12 in our yard just right now! You rake a pile like this and the next day there is that much on the ground again! I am all for leaf fun, but the kids want to go "rake" leaves everyday. That is great, they do a very good job, but they always end up completely burying themselves and it takes forevah to get all the leaves out of their hair. Leaves end up all over the house ARG, I am sick of leaves!

Then we have added more fun to the mix. The girls were playing in the piles for probably 2 hours when I came out to help finish off the piles. I took one look at Bailey and about had a heart attack. Her face was completely bright red and covered in huge puffy blotches. Upon further inspection, her whole body was covered...COVERED in hives! I made her take a shower, we took some benadryl, covered her in hydrocortisone cream...nothing. The next morning was Saturday and she was a little better, but pretty quickly they swelled back up (is that correct english..swelled?) The whole weekend this went on, we even went to the doctor and they told us to just keep up the benadryl for this allergic reaction.

Monday Bay was dying to go to school and reminded me over and over that the Dr. had said she should go, but I was reluctant because she looked so awful. She went and after about an hour sure enough the nurse from school called me to pick her up. I felt like an idiot because I knew she shouldn't have gone, but the Doctor had downplayed it so much I kind of felt like I was overreacting too. Anyway the school nurse said that the other kids were all staring at Bailey and commenting so much that it was distracting. I was worried that Bailey was going to be upset from embarrassment when I got there, but no...she was relishing her new found stardom!

It took 2 more days for her hives to even subside and a couple after that for them to go away. The Doctor told us she was fine to play in the leaves again because it was probably a random reaction...but she didn't want to. Ellery however played in a different area of the yard and what do you know...HIVES! I got a phone call from the nurse, who by now thinks we are completely crazy! Thank heavens her case was much milder and lasted only a couple of days. Suffice it to say, no more leaves this season.

This is our neighbor's house, this huge pile that is almost up to a man's shoulder, was one of 7 in her yard. Crazy leaves out here in the country people!