Scorpion

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My mom mentioned on Facebook that she had killed a scorpion in her office the other night. She almost picked it up before she realized what it was.  Ick!  The nasty things about scorpions here in Arizona is that they do blend in so nicely.  It wouldn't be hard to be stung simply because one didn't notice the disgusting critter.  In fact, within the same week as my mom's scorpion story I've killed one on my back porch (Daniel almost put his hand right on it) and one in the garage (I almost stepped on that one).  I have a feeling this is going to be quite the year for scorpion sightings.  It's time to get out the Diatomaceous Earth and put down a hefty dose all around the house.

This whole scorpion killing spree reminded me of a funny story, though, and I just had to share it with you.  I think this is the one and only time I can remember Daniel actually being genuinely upset with me enough to yell.  Honestly, he had every reason.  I didn't make this same mistake a second time.

It all started on a summer afternoon, much like the ones we've experienced the past week or so.  The temperatures are too hot to go outside in the middle of the day, but the kids still wanted to play.  Andrea was not quite a year old and our foster son Alex was three.  The kids wandered off into the bedroom to play, Andrea following Alex as usual.

A few minutes later Alex came into the living room where I was reading a book.  "Hey, Mom.  There's a spider in the boat."  Alex loved to dump every toy out of the toy box and climb inside.  Sometimes it was a tree house; other times it was a car.  Today, apparently, it was a boat.

I walked into the bedroom where Andrea was still sitting in the toy box.  "Okay, Mister.  Where is this spider?" Alex triumphantly pointed to an upside down bowl.  "I trapped him in the dish."  Thank goodness I thought to take Andrea out of the toy box before moving the bowl.  Under the Tupperware was not a spider, but a scorpion.  I screamed as the bowl went flying through the air.   Without taking my eyes of the critter I said.  "Alex, take Andrea and go play in the living room please.  Bring me the phone, too."

Daniel would be home from work soon, I knew, but I wasn't sure exactly how close he was.  I dialed his cell phone number hoping he would pick up quickly.  "I'll be home in a minute," he said once I explained the situation.  I don't know what happened in those few minutes, but somehow I lost track of the scorpion.

Upon his arrival Daniel rushed into the bedroom and let out a groan.  Oops, I had forgotten the entire toy box was scattered around the room.  My husband was used to coming home to a pretty clean house.  This sight must have been frustrating.  But it wasn't the toys being scattered that annoyed Daniel.  Well, it WAS the toys being scattered that irritated him, just not for the reasons I thought.  "Karen, that scorpion could be ANYWHERE by now.  Why didn't you just kill it when you had a chance?"  The honest answer was because I was terrified.  I couldn't move, I couldn't think.

My superhero sat in that bedroom for an hour, picking up one toy, examining it, declaring it scorpion-free, then setting it in the toy box.  Oh, that was the first thing he checked, by the way.  The bug wasn't hiding in the box.  It had definitely escaped.  Toy after toy got a complete inspection.  "Eeek," I finally heard from the bedroom.  I guessed my guy had found the scorpion.  A few minutes later he came out, nasty intruder in hand, and declared the bedroom safe once again.  My hero!