Spiders!
I love spiders. When they're outside. And not crawling on me. I'm sure you can blame E. B. White for some of that...but there's just something so magnificent and elegant about the shape of their bodies, their beautiful webs--and let's not forget their status as arch nemesis of the perfidious, bloodsucking mosquito.Charlotte's Web seemed a good choice for first read-aloud of the school year, and it has been marvelous seeing my girls respond so enthusiastically to the story...even if it means we might have to give up bacon around here for a while.
We've also given up killing spiders, even when they are in our house.
This morning, I heard an excited (not scared) shout from the kitchen:
"MAMA! There is a giant spider in the kitchen!"
For some strange reason (strange, because it's never been right), we tend to think our children are over-exaggerating when they say things like this. Nope. It was a giant spider, at least by my standards. Two inches long (plus a little extra for the legs) is too big for my kitchen.
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| Here she is, safe in the bottom of a Ball jar. |
To be precise, it was a giant Black and Yellow Argiope. Of course we had to pull out the nature journals. Who would have thought that our first nature find of the school year would be on my pantry door?
Oh, I dislike spiders. A lot. But I've never read Charlotte's Web, either (I know, I know). Somehow I missed reading it despite their being a copy of it on my brother's book shelf.
ReplyDeleteThat is a rather gorgeous spider you found, though - I've never seen one that color.
But if a tarantula was in your pantry, would you have the same reaction, I wonder? ;-)
Actually, I think I'd have the exact same reaction: let my husband catch it so we can admire it from the other side of a glass jar. :) Now, if I was home alone...a tarantula would probably induce "Let's all play in the bedroom with the door shut and towels stuffed under it!" mode. :)
DeleteOooh, I too love spiders, esp. since they eat all the other nasty bugs. That's a beauty! We had a lovely banana spider and two babies on our back porch that one of our visitors knocked down ... I was busy in the kitchen, otherwise I would've stopped him.
ReplyDeleteI love their webs too. So perfectly precise. And the tensile strength of spider silk is greater than steel!!! Neat stuff.
Now I have to look up banana spiders... We don't get too many interesting varieties here in CT, so this colorful one was a special "treat"!
DeleteOoh, noo! No, no, no. I can barely even look at that thing- and it was in your KITCHEN?! Please tell your girls for me(and you), that they are some very brave little ladies. And very kind-hearted(as well as a good artist). =) Also, the reflection of the spider in the glass is every bit as scary as the real thing!
ReplyDeleteI know! I think actually the reflection freaked me out more than the spider could have. It's so ghostly and distorted...
DeleteI don't hate or fear spiders (that would be my daughter); I reserve that for stinging insects. But I would not want her in my kitchen, even though she's pretty. I must confess, on my son's first day of 4th grade, there was a huge spider on the kitchen floor. I asked him to step on it. He said, "Are you kidding? That thing has more guts than I do."
ReplyDeleteOoh, stinging insects. The great fear of my life is "killer bees" even though I have never lived near their habitat. You can blame my brother and his horror stories...but I still have nightmares about them.
DeleteI love your son's wit! I think I would have let him off for cleverness. ;)
Oh, I'm afraid I don't love spiders. They creep me right out. I usually can't even get close enough to squish them. I have to go at them with the vacuum.
ReplyDeleteBut what if you can't get to the vacuum before the spider moves?? I think I'd be more afraid of NOT KNOWING where it was!
DeleteOh, that spider IS big! I try to do a catch-and-release with spiders found in the house. Charlotte's Web was the first chapter book I read with my 4YO (her name is Charlotte)!
ReplyDeleteThat's so neat--and a beautiful name. After reading both Charlotte's Web and a few of the Little House books (in which Laura's rag doll is named 'Charlotte') my daughter has been renaming many of her own dolls and stuffed animals that. She even wanted to know if I could rename her the way she does her animals!
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