Passing On The Gift Of Arachnaphobia

Last night we had a little Mother's Day visitor.

An ugly, freaky, scary looking spider. Ick. Yuck.

After I stopped convulsing, I squeeked out, "Spider! Oh my God, Gilberto, kill it. Please kill it. LOOK at it! It's so creepy! It's poisonous! It's going to bite me or Gabi and kill us!"

While Gilberto just sat there staring at me like I was out of my mind, Gabi jumped out of her chair and yelled, "I'll get it, mommy!"

She grabbed one of her shoes, and then ran right up to that spider and SMACK! It was no more.

My little baby killed a spider for me! And she wasn't afraid at all! Let me just say, that the spider was in fact scarier than the average spider. It looked straight out of the jungle. And she didn't hesitate to protect me.

I'm so proud of her for being so brave (and not harboring irrational fears like her mother). Even though it basically amounts to encouraging the killing of an innocent animal. Even if it was poisonous and dangerous to humans. Though it probably wasn't.

Gilberto, the jungle boy that he is, would have gently picked the spider up in his hand and put it outside, big nasty pinchers and all, if Gabi hadn't gotten to it first. He HATES it when I kill spiders. Though I'm smart enough to leave the mosquito eaters alone. Those spiders can live. But putting the evil spiders back outside? That's just not good enough for me.

I know it's awful, but I'm so glad Gabi got to it first!

I might need to teach her a little spider wariness, though. Those suckers will jump on your face and attack you if you're not careful.