My Little Pacifist

This morning I told the kids to put on their shoes while I ran a few things out to the car.  I returned about 90 seconds later to a high-pitched commotion around the shoe shelf.  They were both pointing at a pair of my shoes and Quynh yelled, "Mama there is a tarantula climbing on your shoe!"

Actually, it was a tiny spider.  Well, tiny compared to a tarantula.  But big for a House Spider, I guess. It was probably the size of a dime.  Anyway, I know how to handle this type of situation.  I very calmly grabbed about 8 tissues (you know, because you need a very thick barrier of tissues between your hand the and spider) and I reached out to grab him (and then flush him, of course).

But Tai stopped me.  "Mama, no." he said softly, with his hand firmly on my wrist.

"Oh great, he doesn't want me to kill it." I thought.  Now what?  I briefly considered attempting to capture him and release him outside, but that seemed unlikely to work.  And I really didn't like the thought of me walking to the door with a live spider that might run right up my arm and down my shirt.

"So, what should I do with it?" I asked.  "Just leave it," he instructed me.

And it was indeed time for me to get Quynh into the car and off to school.  So I left it.  I simply left a spider crawling around on the shelf where we keep all our shoes.  Now it might be in my shoes -- making a nest!  laying eggs!

I may have to throw out all my shoes.