I would like to tell you about something that happened a few weeks ago. Joel and I put the kids to bed as usual and went downstairs to enjoy a little quiet time together before we headed to bed ourselves. The conversation went like this....

Angela - "Would you like some ice cream?" hoping he would say yes, so I wouldn't feel so guilty.

Joel - "Sure. Strawberry please!"

Scoop. Scoop.

Angela - "Here, Babe. Now let me get mine."

Scoop. Scoop. Scoop. Scoop.

A - "Ahhh! Peace and quiet. Isn't this nice?"

J- "Yeah..... It be nicer if y....."

Katheryn from the top of the stairs, "Daddy, there is something in my room," she says calmly.

J looks at A, "Yeah right."

J to K from the couch, "What is it honey?"

K, "I don't know. It has six legs though. I think it might be a caterpillar!"

A to J, "She has been watching way too many Hermie and Wormie videos!"

J to K, "Coming!"

Stomp. Stomp. Stomp. J goes upstairs.

Stomp. Stomp. Stomp. J comes downstairs.

"Uh, honey, There is a lizard in their room." - J

A- "WHAT?! Where is it?"

J- "On the ceiling!"

Mind you, our lizards are not the lizards you are thinking of. The lizards here are harmless but look like kimono dragons.

Joel gets the broom.

"What are you going to do with that?" - asks A.

J - "I don't know. You got any ideas?"

A- "Are the girls scared?"

J- "No. Claire is still asleep."

A- " I think you need to wake her up. She will freak out if she wakes up with you swinging a broom around the room and what if that lizard jumps on her. At least put her on our bed."

Stomp. Stomp. Stomp. (Just in case you are wondering why I didn't go upstairs, this all happened right after I had toe surgery!)

K- "Why do you have a broom? Why are you waking up Claire? Why are we getting in your bed?" Silence.

Swish. Swat.

Stomp. Stomp. Stomp. J comes back downstairs.

"It ran behind the crown molding."

A- "What are we going to do now?"

Joel gets some paper towel.

A- "What are you going to do with that?"

J - " Stuff it in the crack of the molding so it can't come out or breathe and it will just die in there."

A- "Yeah. But won't it stink once it dies?"

J - "Got any better ideas?"

Stomp. Stomp. Stomp.

A few minutes pass.

J - "OK girls. Back in bed."

K - "Where is that lizard, Daddy? What did you do with that paper towel? How did that lizard get in our house?"

Claire - " A bihgh...ihh-zer...ihn myh oom!"

J- "Daddy, took care of it honey. Go to sleep now."

Stomp. Stomp. Stomp. J back downstairs.

J- "Hey. Who ate my ice cream?"

A- Smile

A bihgh...ihh-zer / AKA a caterpillar