Step Right Up....You gotta see this one, folks!

Tonight, our fair featured a sideshow.  Yes, I am certain many would have paid to see this debacle.

I had a wonderful dinner last night with two good friends.  I arrived home to a jug of syrup sitting in the middle of the kitchen floor.  I thought it was odd, but I was not surprised.  I have raised two wonderful girls, but when it comes to them keeping things neat and orderly around the home, I have failed miserably.  Having accepted that fact, I shrugged and made a note to self to put the syrup away in the cabinet once I emptied my arms and checked on the girls.

I stopped at Lily's room first.  With big wide eyes, she said, "Mom.  The scariest thing happened tonight.  There was a huge spider in the kitchen,"  as she holds her hands forming a circle the size of a softball.  "AND, it was one of those jumping spiders.  Every time I got close, it would jump at me."  She goes on to tell me that our precious little Shihtzu wanted to eat it. With no remorse at all she says, "And, I was going to let her eat it, but then it started jumping at her and she got scared and ran away."  With a great sense of accomplishment, she squared her shoulders and said, "I got it though.  I took the bottle of syrup from the pantry and squished it."  I just sighed deeply.

I decided at that point to check on Anna who was suspiciously missing.  She was not in any part of the house and had not answered when I called out to her on several occasions.  I knew what was in store for me.  She was hiding and waiting patiently to jump out and scare me.  I insist that every time she startles me, I am certain that she takes at least two weeks off my life span.  Yet, she continues to take great pleasure in giving me a fright.  As I peeped around various corners, I prepared myself.  I knew it was coming, so I would not be taken by surprise.  Here is the thing about Anna.  While she is one of the most impatient people that God has ever put on the face of this earth, when it comes to startling her mother, she has the patience of ten Jobs!  She waited it out for about ten minutes until I had finally dropped my guard and accepted the fact that a fright was forthcoming.  I walked into my bedroom and she jumped out from behind my door.  I projected a bloodcurdling scream that was loud enough to alert all the neighbors as I had mild heart attack.

When I prepared the morning coffee, I noticed the syrup bottle on the kitchen floor.  I picked it up and there was the tiny corpse of the ferocious, jumping spider.  It was about half the size of a dime.  As I chuckled at the mental image of Lily and Lulu fighting the beast, I felt a sense of satisfaction in my soul.  I thought to myself that we have truly survived the storm and built a new life.  There is very little that is normal and ordinary about this life, but I love every quirky minute of it.

Psalm 30:5 says that weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. It was a very dark night for us, but thanks be to God and many amazing people in my life, our morning has come.