Let's Not Act Rashly...

Oh, Pox!
Originally uploaded by littlekidd

Oh, my poor boy! He's covered from head to toe with little red dots. Last week he had a fever and a streppy throat so we started him on antibiotics. Yesterday this rash first appeared, and it has worsened markedly during the past 24 hours.

Jim is 99 percent sure it's an allergic reaction to the Amoxycillin. But there's an outside chance it's Chicken Pox. I'm not inciting panic yet by calling the folks at Camp and Taekwondo and Swimming Lessons -- all part of yesterday's agenda -- where he might have exposed other kids. Send good thoughts that this is just a noncontagious thing.

We are home today, though. Looking the way he looks I didn't think the other mothers would appreciate his presence in their kids' midsts. And if he DOES have Pox, he shouldn't be near anyone.

Insult is added to injury by the fact that he FEELS fine. As I write this he's playing some game that involves flinging his stuffed animals down the basement stairs as hard as he can one after another, then bringing them back up and doing it all over again. Apparently it's some kind of amusement park "ride" for them.

Let's hope this clears quickly. We have concerts and birthday parties this weekend. Friends visiting from out of town. Places to go and people to see! Wish us luck!

The classy one in the middle...

Three monkees
Originally uploaded by littlekidd

... with his pinkies up his nose. Yep, that's our son. On his right, McCaleb; on his left, Sam. These boys have been spending a lot of time together this summer, engrossed in scientific exploration. I have renamed our back porch "The place where bugs go to die" in honor of the collection of forgotten "pets" we have there.

These boys know their stuff, though. They use terms like "exoskeleton" and "photosynthesis" and "carbon dioxide." freely in conversation. Today Zack told me that some ladybugs disguise themselves by "decorating their abdomens to look like bees."

Zack is just as excited about the literal fruits of his labors in the garden. He told me tonight he wants to make bush bean muffins. Yum.

Needless to say we've been way too busy in the great outdoors to spend time sitting in front of the computer writing blog entries. Hence the less-than-frequent posts. It will get better again when the rain comes, I promise.

Oregon Boys

I'm Faaallling....!
Originally uploaded by littlekidd

It's been awhile! Zack is having a super summer. Here he is with his friend Ian somewhere near Wahkeena Falls in the Columbia River Gorge. This spot is about 45 minutes from our house by car. Aren't we lucky!?

Zack love being out in nature. The other day he and I walked about two miles through Portland's forest in the city... We walked along the Lower McClay Trail, then up the Wildwood trail and into the neighborhood hills of NW Portland. The 95 degree heat hardly phased us thanks to the thick green canopy over our heads.

Today we had an urban hike, to a neighborhood water spray park a few blocks from home. The edge came off the heat wave today, and 85 doesn't seem so bad. Even in our little neighborhood Zack points out different bugs and birds he knows. The other day with a friend he saw two turtles and a great blue heron in a city park. How cool is that.