Today I Snatched Up Britt. Again.

Ok.  I thought it was bad that every time I turn around Britt is eating the dog food at her Nana's house.  And she's in Nana' house a LOT!  Let me tell you a baby that has chewed on dog kibble and drooled it all over the front of herself does not smell appealing.  Nope.  Not at all.  But I am now starting to think that eating dog food is just fine compared to what she could be eating!

Well, after getting the girls up, changed, and dressed this morning, I brought them out into the main room.  I put Britt on a bean bag and proceeded to clean up all my papers and project that I had left out on the floor last night.  Ash immediately started playing with her little pumpkin from the harvest party.

After putting my stuff up, I turned around just in time to see Britt chasing and grabbing one of these:

(credit go to Cheryl Moorehead, who obviously likes bugs.  What?!?!)

 Holy Spider Batman!! And YUCK!!!!!!  The icky thing was trying desperately to move away from the big, crazy baby.  And it wasn't having much luck.  If my derriere was that big in proportion to the rest of my body I probably wouldn't be a quick mover either.  Well, it really startled me. 

Quick Jamie History before I finish the story.  My mother is deathly afraid of spiders.  She has passed that on to, I think, all of her kids.  My mom can't get near a spider.  Not even to smash it.  She can only get them with a vacuum.  That's how most of my sisters are too.  My dad is the opposite.  He's not at all scared of any bug.  But he did use our fear to his amusement.  He'd get the spiders and chase us with them.  Yeah.  Not cool.  Or he'd pick them up (in kleenex), wad it up, and put it in his mouth.  He just loved the squeals and disgusted looks on our faces, I'm sure. 

So - I've always been scared of spiders.  The heeby-jeebies would overtake me if I even looked at one.  I couldn't even squish them.  Especially not the kind that Britt found.  As a kid, my siblings and I, called them "big butt spiders."  They are actually called orb spiders, or cross spiders.  Yucky.  I feared them and hobo spiders most (I still fear hobo spiders because they bite and the bites are bad).  Orb spiders always build their nests where people need to walk.  I have given these big butt spiders a ride or two in my lifetime.  Not on purpose, of course.   Ok.  I'm not making this story within my story very short, am I?  Anyways, I went on a mission to Houston about 4 years ago and dealt with very big cockroaches (something we don't have in the Pacific Northwest, as far as I know).  And that really helped me to get over a lot of my bug fear.  I didn't have a choice.

Oh, for those of you who think it is cruel to kill bugs, you may want to skip this post.  I don't feel the same way.  I'm still trying to figure out why God made bugs.

Fast forward - now I've got kids.  Spiders bite.  I don't want my babies to get bitten.  All of a sudden they aren't so scary.  Maybe they bring out the momma bear.  I've touched spiders to protect my kids.  But I still don't want them (the spiders) to touch me.  But, more importantly, I don't want my kids to be afraid of them.  I don't want my children to have to feel that yicky, skin-crawling sensation when they see a spider.  Obviously, it's not inherent or Britt wouldn't be chasing them (more on that in a moment).  I don't want spiders to have anything on my girls.  So - I do NOT yell or scream or jump around when I see a spider.  It is SO hard not to when they take me by surprise though!  Haha.  I swallow my fear and put on a brave face and grab a shoe.  One time I did let out a little scream but then I saw that Ash was watching me so I changed it to a berserker bellow and acted like a warrior with a weapon, aka flip flop. 

So - yeah.  Seeing my baby touching grabbing a spider just about blew my cover.  I picked her up and moved her and gave both the girls a lesson about how we do NOT eat spiders or even pick them up (in case they are biters). I explained that we squash them with shoes and then I did a demonstration.  :)

Now.  Are you grossed out enough?   If you are, I suggest you end your reading here.  I'll even make it easier for you. 

The End.

There.  I wish. 

Two days ago I fished this out of Britt's mouth:

**gagging**  I seriously almost passed out.  My skin still crawls when I think about it.  I'm almost certain that it was living when she put it in her mouth.  I had to do some research because I was afraid that it may have bitten back, though doubtful.  But, based on what I've read, I think it probably met its drooly, gummy death without a fight.  And yes, it's another (bigger) orb weaver.  Will someone stop tracking these things into my house?!?!  Unlike hobo spiders and daddy long legs (and many other types), these things don't want to live indoors.  But, I've seen three in here in the past week.  Two of which Britt found first.  Guess  that's what happens when you're so low to the floor.  We have seriously had a bumper crop of spiders, in the Pacific Northwest, this year!

YUCK!!!!!!

My apologies for subjecting you to the nasty pictures in this post.