The Extreme Dangers of Hugging Palm Trees

The entire family recently visited Walt Disney World. For the most part we had a great time. I'm going to tell you about one glaring exception to the good times.

Sweet Pea wanted to hug a palm tree while we were there. I mean, who doesn't want to hug a palm tree? So, our first day there as we were wandering around we saw a perfect tree. She ran to it and posed while I took a few photos. The next thing I know she starts hopping up and down, tears off her shoes and runs several yards away, slapping at her legs.

It didn't take me long to realize that her shoes that were pink earlier, were now black. Black with little tiny swarming biting ants that were angry that someone had dared to stand on their nest.

Poor Sweet Pea! I helped her get the ants out of her anklets and off her feet. Then I went back for her socks. I stomped on them repeatedly, then began searching for ants. The socks weren't too bad. But it must have taken the hubby and I 15 minutes to extract all the ants from the shoes. They were in the holes the shoelaces go through. They were under the liners. They were in every single tiny little crack and crevasse in the shoes. And they were still biting! Nasty little buggers!

But eventually we did get them all out. And then it only took another 10 minutes to convince her that they were out and another 5 to convince her to put them back on.

Needless to say, we refrained from hugging any more trees for the duration of the trip.
 
Quack!