Hay!

We made an important discovery yesterday. Thursday and Friday we had fierce wind storms. Yesterday morning the wind was calm and the sun was shining so I took the kids outside to help me clean up. We swept out the garage and shoveled off the front step. Then I decided to put up a fence at one end of the house to help block the wind in the future. Morgan was keeping Zane safe by holding his hand while I worked. She led him up on to a wooden pallet that Scott had kept hay on. Zane tripped and fell on to the pallet, getting his arm stuck between the boards. He was kicking and screaming and flailing like a fish out of water but could not get his arm out. I finally reached him and helped him get up. I brushed him off and assessed the damage. He seemed to be fine and he hurried off to find Morgan.

Later, after his nap, I noticed some small welts on the side of his face and a bruise on his forehead. I thought it must have been from the fall – it is always the head that hits first. A half hour later Scott came home and asked what was wrong with him. By now his face was puffy, his cheeks were red, and he had welts from head to toe. I had a flash back to all my times as a child when I had hives and I knew instantly what it was. I gave him a bath and a dose of allergy medicine. At bedtime he was still pretty itchy. Even today he still has a few lingering spots on his arms and legs.

Our important discovery is that Zane is allergic to HAY. Scott’s dreams of having a little cowboy were dashed in an instant. Fortunately Morgan doesn’t seem to be bothered by hay. She will be Dad’s little cowgirl and Zane will help me bake cookies for them.