Tick on T

Yesterday evening we were sitting in our new red adirondack chairs out by the firepit while M was putting together the airator to tow behind his lawn tractor. I had Tommy on my knee and was rubbing my hands through his hair when I saw it...a big (size of a pencil eraser) flat UGLY tick. I had never seen a tick before and never saw a picture of one, but I was pretty sure that's what it was. I gently tried to move it, but no such luck. It was attached to my little boy's head -- burrowed into his head. Gross! I was very calm and said, hmmmm -- looks like you have a friend. M was walking up and I showed him -- yep, it was a tick. M said to smear Vaseline on it so it would begin to sufficate and pull its head out. I smeared the puppy with Vaseline and watche it and didn't see anything happen. After about 10 minutes (very long minutes), M pulled it out, head and all. I guess it did pop its head out with out me seeing it. All in all, it was a painless experience. T wasn't freaked out, I stayed calm, and the tick is out.

After the boys were in bed, I did some online research and learned that the ticks that carry Lyme disease are quite small -- usually just the size of a head of a pin. I read that if it's big - like the size of a pencil eraser, chances are that it isn't carrying Lyme. Of course, there are other diseases that the little bugger could have been carrying, we'll just watch the bite area and T for symptoms. I guess that's the bummer about having the back yard butt up to the woods!