FIRE ANTS!

Today was an adventure.

My mom,

dad,

James,

Reese,

and I (sorry I can't find a recent picture of me that doesn't include a kid)

all headed south to surprise Raegan (my niece)

for her birthday today.  

It was going to be an adventure no matter what.  The plan was ripe with danger from the beginning:  

a) drive a little over an hour with toddler and infant in car seats,

b) spend 1+ hours in a restaurant in birthday jubilee, 

c) put the kiddos back in car seats for the drive home during nap time.

But adventures are fun, right?!  So off we went!  I had every baby/kid supply packed with us that I could think of--diapers, wipes, strollers, toys, blankets, snacks for James, and extra clothes.

The trip down was uneventful.  Both kids were awake and happy for the trip.  Success #1.

The restaurant time/birthday celebration was pretty good overall.  James tolerated it fairly well, despite not being allowed to run all over.  Raegan was so sweet to play with him for a while, which he greatly enjoyed.  Reese was  mostly happy, at least until right before we left.  Success #2.

I changed both kids diapers in the back of my vehicle before we hit the road home.  The Jeep was backed into a parking space with the tail end of the car meeting up with a curbed grassy area.  I stood upon said grassy area to accomplish the diaper change-age.  While I was doing that, the party-goers all met up with me at my car as it was time for us all to go.  My mom was holding Reese, I was holding James, the tail gate of my car was open and everyone was milling about for a few minutes.  All of the sudden it felt like I was being bitten with thousands of tee-tiny pinchers all over my feet.  As it turns out, I WAS.  I knew immediately what it was. 

FIRE ANTS!! Fail #1.

As best I can remember, I gently, lovingly placed James into the back of the car, concerned only for his safety as any good mother would be (read: I tossed him).  He didn't cry, so it must've been a somewhat soft landing...  I started to screech "I'M COVERED IN ANTS!!!" while stomping and dancing about like a pentecostal preacher's wife (minus the clapping part).  I considered for a half-second stripping off my pants to remove the poison-filled-biting-beasts, but I thought better of it.  The parking lot and five lane highway beside us could've gotten quite a show.  (Pretty sure they enjoyed the prancing/stomping/dancing as it was.)  Amidst all my FREAKING OUT, someone saw to it that James didn't fall out of the back of the vehicle.  Someone else checked over Reese's stroller and car seat (which was on the ground, she wasn't in it though) to make sure there were no red offenders present.  James was unscathed.  I don't know if anyone else got bitten.  That's horrible.  I was so wrapped up in my own fiasco, I did not see to the well-being of anyone else around me.  To my family, I apologize.  I hope you are all bite-free. 

This picture doesn't really do my foot justice.  There are red spots, believe me.  

After we got the crying children in their car seats and started our journey home, I said to my parents, "Fire Ants.  Wow, didn't really see that one coming..."

ps...both kids fell asleep within ten minutes of our ride home and slept most of the way.  Success #3.