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October 05, 2005
Yellow Jackets
We look forward to going to our homeschooling park day on Tuesdays. We meet in a park in the country that has about everything you would want in a park: a pavillion, a creek, woods, ball fields, play structure, swings, flush toilets and lots of shade. The best part is that we are always the only ones there. On any given Tuesday you can count on at least 15 moms (and sometimes a dad or 2) being there. Most people have 2 or 3 kids, so it's a big crowd. The kids can pretty much run wild. They catch crayfish, frogs and small snakes. They hike through the woods, play in a bamboo forest and occasionally even chase deer. Lately they have been playing at the edge of the woods on the banks of the creek, building structures in and around some tree stumps.
I will mention that the creek is usally a dry river bed like so many of the creeks that I have seen around here. If it has rained in the previous few days then the water may be waist-high. It is a safe enough situation where we can pretty much let them play while us adults can relax and chat. The moms whose sons (it's always the boys) are playing in the woods will take turns going in and check on them.
Henry, Theo and 2 other boys were digging in the dirt around the trees. Henry said they were digging to make a house. Well they chose the wrong spot! When the four of them came running out of the woods screaming I didn't really think anything of it at first. But it didn't take long to realize something was wrong. Another mom and I jumped to help out a 6 year old who was covered in yellow jackets. We managed to pull off his shirt pretty quickly because they were up inside it. I don't know how many times he was stung, but it was quite a bit. Thank goodness he wasn't allergic! Theo was only stung 3 times and Henry once, but H's leg got pretty swollen.
The funny thing is (not really ha ha funny though) is that I read this book to them right before we left home for playgroup.
Thank you Dorling Kindersley for your free clip art.
Posted by Julee at October 5, 2005 10:09 PM
Comments
Well homeschooling is always a learning opportunity no matter what the situation(tempting me more and more to really just forego even trying out kindergarden). Yikes on those yellowjackets
Posted by: Yolanda at October 6, 2005 06:02 PM
David's deadly allergic to bee/wasp stings - had his car overturn once when stung while driving - but I'm not, thank Goodness.
Posted by: letti at October 6, 2005 09:28 PM
Scary! Jellyfish tongues are bad enough, I don't even want to think about what he will get into when he is older!
Posted by: Colleen at October 7, 2005 10:40 AM