"What lies behind us, and what lies before us are small matters
compared to what lies within us."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Sunday, August 28, 2011

House Guests


I got a big surprise when I looked up at the celing in the bathroom the other day. There was an enormous, thick web, but no spider.

I am NOT afraid of spiders,
(remember this post? http://wronginalltherightways-travcat.blogspot.com/2011/04/creature-in-bathtub.html)
but, just to be on the safe side, I tore out of there like a maniac.

"Has anyone seen a spider in the bathroom?" I asked the kids.

"Oh yeah!" Anastasia replied, "that's our friend Felix. He's really sweet."


Apparently the fanged creature has an entire history with our family that I knew nothing about.

"We have another one named Eloise in the kitchen." Isabella piped up.

I was starting to feel itchy all over.

Eloise and Felix had dinner together last night while I was giving the kids a bath.


I jerked the kids out of the water so fast you would have thought "Jaws" was in the tub.

"Felix and Eloise have to go." I told everyone.

"But Mom, they would never bother us. They know us!" Catherine insisted.

How do you kill friends of the family?

I think I am just going to use the upstairs bathroom for the rest of my life, even though I am NOT afraid of spiders.

10 comments:

  1. Ok, that cracks me up. Every summer our kitchen is home to several sugar ants. My children have the pleasure of naming the ants. And then my mom comes and kills them all and the kids get all sad that "Bubblegum" died. He was such a sweet ant. haha

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  2. Hmmm...I would probably have made a much bigger production of it all...I so do NOT like spiders. At all.

    And, take it from me, just because they are "family", doesn't mean they don't need a very firm reminder of when they have work out their welcome.

    Brooke
    www.TheAnnessaFamily.blogspot.com

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  3. Yeah but, do you need all million of their babies when they have them!!! Yikes....I'd say goodbye to the spiders if it were me!!!!

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  4. I'm not afraid of spiders either... I just like to run like crazy when one of them comes my way! lol I think you will have to tell the girls they went to a farm or something like that lol They are just so sweet naming their spiders!

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  5. LOL, If you ever need someone to come help you with your spiders let me know. Because I grew up in the south, where there are TONS of mosquitoes I grew up loving all spiders. Of course in the south almost everyone has AC, so spiders are mostly outside and not inside. Now that I am living in the great northwest where we have no AC in our house (only really need it two or three days a year anyway) we tend to keep the doors open most of the day, this tends to let in mosquitoes. Because of this, I am very happy when a hungry spider move in and around the house to help get rid of all our mosquitoes. Because I am one of the only ones at work who is not scared of spiders, they tend to call me to come "take care of it" when they see one. Much to their dismay I tend to catch them and put them outside rather than killing poor Charlotte.

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  6. I am a spider catch-and-release specialist from way back, too. ;D

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  7. Those are not the types of pets I could live with either. It is nice that your children are not prejudiced against God's little creatures.

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  8. Ha -- we also have spider housepets. We also name them. They're fascinating creatures.

    Please don't kill them! The kids are right; they won't bother you.

    Just relocate them to the outdoors. It'll take just a moment. You won't have to touch them; the kids could even do it.
    Here's how:
    - Get a clear glass and a thin piece of cardboard (like a bit of cereal box cardboard -- that sort of thing.) The cardboard should be about twice as large as the mouth of the cup.

    - Place the clear glass over the spider. Be careful to avoid crushing his legs -- that's why the clear glass is helpful. (The bigger the spider, the bigger the cup you'll need.)

    - Keep the mouth of the glass flat against the wall/floor. Gently, gently slide the cardboard between the cup and the wall/floor. Once the cardboard covers the mouth of the cup, you're good! Keep the cardboard over the mouth of the cup and take the spider outdoors.

    We don't kill animals whenever it can be avoided. I just feel like it's human-centric; I don't feel like I have the right to take another creature's life. I don't want to take something that I can't give back! A life is a life, each god-given and unique and miraculous.

    God created these little creatures who can make gorgeous webs and super-strong fibers. I feel awful destroying this incredible little creature that was designed by God, especially when it's so simple to just relocate it outdoors!

    Plus, I'm afraid that it's bad karma. I'm a big believer in "what goes around, comes around!" :-)

    Best,
    Truewell

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  9. Too funny! I would be using the upstairs bathroom too, even though I am not afraid of spiders either lol

    Wendy

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  10. ahhhhhhhh! I hate spiders. Don't worry friends of spiders. I'm too scared of them to kill them!

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