Ew, Gross, Ew

I found a tick on Maddux... on his penis! He was going potty and told me he had a bug on his penis. I figured it was a piece of lint or something, but when I looked it was indeed a bug. It was a very tiny black round bug and when I picked it off (it was not attached) I realized it was a full and fat little tick! I popped it on the bathroom counter and sure enough, it was filled with blood. I looked over his penis really well and I think it was attached under the folds at the head of his penis. It doesn't look red or even irritated, it looks more brownish... like a healing irritated spot. I'm so grossed out. This was the buggiest beach trip we've ever had and my skin is just crawling now.

We also found a tick on Ava one night after a short walk through a woods finding a geocache. My mom found it crawling on her. I checked the kids hair and such that evening, but I honestly didn't give it much more thought. I certainly never thought to check his penis! Ugh. We came home with gazillions of skeeter bites too. I have never gotten skeeter bites on the beach before but this year they were out in droves in the evenings. Made evening walks near impossible.

I also came home with what I think are chigger bites which itch like crazy. I think I got them when Kevin and I went after a different geocache that was in a marshy tidal area. Fun stuff I tell ya. I guess I'll be doing an extremely thorough tick check on the kids today. Honestly though, even engorged it was so tiny I'm not sure I'd feel it in their hair or someplace I can't see well. Gross gross gross.