I'm ITCHING to get this off my Chest


What happens when a super "crafty" mom tries to go above and beyond to help her son and his classmate with their project? Well, the answer should fall along the lines of getting a great mark. In my case, it results in poison ivy.


Let me tell you how I got to this point...

Monday night was like any other. I was at the soccer field, wasting my life away. It was a fairly chilly night and I was dressed the part (baggy sweats, furry slipper thingys, a sweater, bed hair, etc.). I needed a distraction from the sudden drop in temperatures, so I decided to use my time wisely.

My son and his classmate had been working on a project. They are learning about biomes in class and the rainforest was their chosen topic to discuss. After their soccer game, they began working on a science project to present to their class. They did an excellent job.

Work continued that Monday. Kaden constructed a 3-D tree to mimic those found in a rainforest. And Mommy had the bright idea to add "real" elements to it by borrowing plants from nature.


While Kaden tackled the ball at soccer practice, I walked along the edge of the woods looking for pieces he could use for their project. I made certain to stay away from mysterious plants, particulary Poison Ivy.

Somewhere along the line, I picked a piece up by mistake. Uh oh!

One of the other parents, who has a great knowledge of the outdoors, suggested I was carrying Poison Ivy. After a bit of research on the iPhone to confirm our suspicions, I chucked it back into the woods and quickly found water to wipe away the oil.

Or so I thought it was quickly.


That night, I began to feel itchy on my chest and neck.



Then, I woke up this morning and it had spread to my face, mostly my cheeks and eyes...and lips. OUCH!

I should probably cancel all outstanding photo shoots with famed photographer...Kaden, my son. LOL!

The moral of the story: Don't let your parents help with their bright ideas. Everyone suffers!

The project did turn out nicely:


That makes all this itching, aching, rashy, hideous face it all worth it.

**top photo courtesy of U.S. National Library of Medicine

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