bed bugs!

It used to be as I tucked my children into bed I would say that little rhyme: "Sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs bite." But, not any more. Because, guess what? We have bed bugs. And they do bite, no matter what you do.

Okay. I'm not 100 percent sure we have bed bugs, but it sure feels that way. Here's what happened: It seems that after we picked Daisy up from camp on Saturday the maintenance crew discovered a "few" live bed bugs in her cabin. We were notified that afternoon, but, for various reasons, we never got the message until late last night.

Fortunately, I had thrown all her clothes and bedding into the washing machine the minute she got home which should, according to some websites, eliminate any hangers-on. Unfortunately, I did not put her favorite stuffed animal (which I begged her to take) or her best pillow in the washing machine but instead, THREW THEM BACK ON HER BED.

So now her room is stripped down to the bare bones. She even picked up the clothes that seem to stay on the floor permanently no matter the season. And our driveway is littered with black trash bags full of camp gear baking in the hot summer sun. I have not seen a bug yet, nor do I think I want to. But, just in case, I have programed a twenty-four hour exterminator into my cell phone.

Tonight, and for the next several nights, I think I will aim my bed bug pleas not at my children but a little bit higher: Please, oh please, God, do not let the bed bugs bite!