Creepy Crawlies

Spiders fascinate me. If I'm lucky enough to happen upon a spider building a web, I stop to watch. I prefer capturing spiders inside and releasing them outside over killing them. And occasionally I'll let a spider crawl around on my hand so I can observe it up close.

But all those things are things that I do with an up-front awareness of them; if they startle me, I do sometimes scream.

This morning before I woke up I dreamt of a Fiji-sized spider. This spider I did not, in my dream, let live; I smashed it. While it was still crumpled up on the floor, my dream faded as I woke to Joseph tickling my shoulder with my hair. Only it didn't feel quite right. I opened my eyes and saw a reasonable-sized (but, still!) spider on my shoulder. Aaah! My squeal of surprise as I brushed the spider off elicited a "What's wrong?" from Joseph. I wasn't quite sure I had brushed it all the way off the bed, and I kept feeling ghostly spiders crawling on me. Ugh.

And a few days ago, I found a crumpled up spider next to Eldon's blanket. I didn't want to have it crumble to pieces in my fingers, so I went and got a tissue to pick it up with. I am so glad I did; it turned out to be alive and started moving as I was carrying it to the trash. It paid with its life for startling me.

I hope the arachnids stop harassing me.

No such luck. A couple of hours after posting the above, I found this on my baby's bed. I wonder if he's the same one from this morning.

I have to admit that he died. Since having a baby, I've not let them live like I used to.