The Bugs Bite Back

Well, we went for a walk at the local park last night. We went exploring the trails that go into the woods. Caleb was complaining about being itchy, but we were getting pretty irritated because we thought he was overreacting. He was really crying and carrying on so I took him and Bryce to the truck to wait on Daddy and Isaac. After sitting at the car for a few minutes, Caleb said that it looked like he had baby ticks all over him. When I had checked him when he first starting crying in the woods, we did not see anything. I looked really close this time and his skin was just crawling with...something. I took him to a restroom nearby and scrubbed him with some wipes and water - all I had. I was not getting anywhere doing this so I went to find Paul who was luckily on his way to the truck. We rushed home and got him in the shower.

We had to use a pumice stone to get the bugs off of him - they were already burrowing into his skin. There are places where his skin is just raw from trying to get those little boogers off of him. We spent at least two hours trying to get them off of him. It is so strange though because we were all together, but he is the only one that got them.

Caleb likes to lead when we hike. He kept walking way up ahead of us so we can only assume that he somehow got covered when he was up ahead of us. I cannot explain why no one else was covered in them, except for that. We kept telling him he needed to stay with us because we have never gone on this trail and did not know what to expect. He kept ignoring us and walking ahead anyways.

The whole way back to the truck from the bathroom at the park Caleb was crying "No wonder I could not quit itching!" Did I feel guilty - of course. To my defense - I checked him when he first started complaining and did not see anything. These things are tiny - you have to really look to see them. When we were picking them all off of him after he took a shower he kept saying "from now on when you tell me to stay with you I will - I promise!" and "I am really sorry I did not mind!"

We have yet to figure out for sure what they were. We have narrowed it down to either chiggers or mites. I don't know if chiggers burrow into your skin or not, but mites do. He got up this morning looking like he had chicken pox. He is covered in spots - I guess where they were eating him. On top of the spots he has places where his skin is just raw from using the pumice stone on him. The pictures do not do justice to how bad he looks - and this is just waist up. His legs are just as bad. This is the perfect example of why I don't like bugs. Call me girlie if you would like - but no good comes from them. Please don't leave comments telling me what good does come from them. And too those who like the bugs - THE BUGS BIT BACK!!