Well, here we go...

I was playing outside with the Squink, we were tossing around some lemoranges (it is the weirdest fruit tree, because it is either a lemony orange or an orangy lemon)... but, that is not the point.

So, we live in this desert, this desert has cacti, we happen to have many varieties of said cacti in our yard...

can you see where I am going with this?

Well, I was trying to see if we had any cochineal on a cacti when Squink grabbed the cactus pad with his hand. Now, please don't think large needle like spines (thorns), think little fuzzy ones in clumps, almost hair like... all over his left hand.
He kept saying "pinch you" and crying, not quite understanding why I could not make it feel any better... Finally I got him to take a nap... not with my heart feeling like it was breaking with the tears streaming down his face as he kept trying to touch things with his hand.

He is doing much better now, (about 5 hours later) but he is still favoring it, holding his fingers spread out because the little buggers got in every nook in cranny a hand can have.

Can I explain how heavy my heart feels at having so little I can do to make him feel better? And the mantra I have been repeating to myself about how this is just what kids have to learn when they grow up here... well, it just isn't helping.

because the two things I could do to help he won't let me do...

BTW - best way to help when this happens is to first pull out clumps with tweezers and then put glue (or hot wax for faces) on and let it dry then peel it off.

Tags: motherhood, guilt, cacti