I Thought I Was Sooooo Smart....

So yesterday was a beautiful day here in the DC metro area - sunny and mid-80's.  My parents were here (on a quick swing through on their way down to Florida to visit my bro) and we enjoyed a lovely dinner out on the back patio.  After dinner it was way too nice to come inside, and the little guy had taken a late nap, so we decided to hang out for a while.  When you're sorta beat and just looking to relax, it's tricky to think of ways to entertain a newly-walking 1 year old amid hundreds of potential outdoor hazards.  So, I developed a nifty little "explorer" game which involved giving him a little plastic cup and pointing out the various dead leaves and twigs scattered about the patio.  "Oh, what is this?" [singsongy excited voice] "A leaf!  Let's put it in the cup!" "A twig! Let's put it in the cup!" "No, don't touch that bird poop - ack!" Etc.  I was feeling sooooo smart and proud of myself for dreaming up such a creative activity.  Well, imagine my dismay this morning when I picked him up out of his crib and saw a HUGE rash across his face.  I'm talking splotchy welts over most of his cheeks and down the entire right side of his face.  The poor little guy looked absolutely miserable, although thankfully it didn't seem to be itching.  Our pedi squeezed us in this morning and confirmed that it was most likely an allergic reaction to some of those leaves and various organic items that he was pawing (and then rubbing his face).  Boy, did I feel dumb.  This, on top of the massive allergies that I've discovered he's inherited from me and his dad.  (We're still determining what he is allergic TO, exactly... dust, pollen, our cat, etc.)  And here I thought I was the smart one for encouraging "creative play".  Next time we'll stick with mind-numbing electronic toys.