Ticked Off

Today was another busy one.  I had to go to the Gold Coast for work and then drive to Strathpine to complete the day.  It is a lot of driving but it is worth it.  I am having more and more fun being the mentor and I am gaining a lot from it as well.  I am busy mostly because it is only three weeks until I go to USA for holidays and there seems to be more and more to do rather than appearing that things are getting done.  I just hope that I get at least a chunk of it done before leaving.  The days are getting shorter and shorter and I can't wait until I fly to long days again.  Today I picked Levi up from After School Care right on sunset.  Tomorrow it will be much the same.  I wish that there were other options for me.  Even as I despair that I won't get everything done at work, I am lamenting that I am not spending time with Levi like a 'real' Mum.  I still remember that time when he asked me why I didn't pick him up from school like all the 'real' Mums.  Ah, they know how to push your buttons and twist the knife. 

When I looked at Levi after his shower, there was a red spot on his neck and a pretty hard knot under it.  On closer inspection I discovered it was a tick.  On closer still inspection I discovered it was a paralysis tick.  They are pretty safe for humans, even little ones like Levi.  I killed it and pulled it off.  Levi of course needed a photo of his neck with the tick in place.  The quality is poor for multiple reasons but primarily because the subject was so excited about the tick he couldn't keep still!!  Then when I was snuggling with him before sleep, I stroked his hair and he said;

"Oh, I have a lump on my head as well"

Yep, sure enough, there was another one just under the hairline.  He was even happier about that.  I decided that you must have a warped idea about excitement if poisonous ticks excite you but I also thought that I would keep that to myself!