This is so cool!
The girls and I were cleaning off the deck this afternoon—making ready for the Minnesota winter, dontcha know—when I flipped over a rug and saw a giant spider.
“Kids, come quick!” I was so excited. “It’s a mommy spider and her egg sac!”
The girls came over to take a look and just as quickly backed away.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake,” I muttered. “You are a thousand times bigger than this spider is.” I shook my head as they maintained their distance. It is one thing to be raising girls but another thing to be raising girls. If you know what I mean.
Eventually they ran off to play while I stacked the deck chairs & kept an eye on Charlotte. One hour later and she is still clinging protectively to her sac.
Not surprisingly, I am touched.
Definitely Cool! You are such a homeschooling mom! But what are you going to do with the spider and the hatchlings?
Um… I'm sorry. I'm with the girls. I saw that egg sac and all I could think was… lots more spiders, ewww! And… are you sure that's not a brown recluse? But that's the way my mind works whenever I see a brown spider. And yes, all that arachnophobia even though my name is Charlotte.
Ha! I thought of you, Charlotte, as I titled this post. It's such a lovely name, though…and to have such a wonderful book named after you!
Felicity mentioned the preponderance of spiders. I don't know know what I'm going to do yet. It would be cool to see them hatch and to hear all of those faint little "hello's"…
I am also with the girls. Sorry mama spider and babies…you would have to find a new place to live very far away from me!
nifty, interesting etc etc,,,,I would be showing charlotte and her sac the door like now! 😉
Sorry, I'm with the girls. And I foster a healthy fear of spiders in our house. We live in a wooded area and commonly find wolf spiders in our house. Generally speaking they don't care about people, but if they feel threatened they will bite defensively.
There was a local story not long ago of a woman who tried to keep her kids unafraid of snakes. She found two baby snakes on their patio and decided to pick one up to show her kids. Turns out it was a baby copperhead. She wound up in the hospital. I know you weren't trying to make your girls dance with the spider or anything. I'm just saying that people tend to have a fear of some things for a very natural and self-preserving reason.
Squash 'em while you can! 🙂 Actually, I only kill the INSIDE spiders. As long as they have the good manners to stay out of doors, they can live.
Wow. I'm surprised at all the spider "venom" in the comments!This particular spider is a wolf spider and completely harmless. Even if it did bite you, which it wouldn't do unless seriously provoked, it would feel like nothing more than a small pinprick.
Thanks, Mags, for doing your part to help eliminate needless and irrational fears about God's beautiful, harmless, and beneficial creatures, and encouraging even your girliest girls to at least give them a chance.
Hey Magggie – I'm with you, this is too cool not to share!
I'd have been calling my kids too: "Hey come quick!! Look at this!"
Then I'd probably put that rug back on top of her as I found it, and let nature be.
Love and blessings~
Fascinating!