What is it with my child and bugs in his clothes?? The other week I sprayed a smashed spider "stain" on his t-shirt and screamed with repulsion as I recognized eight awfully mangled legs in that ugly grey mass. I sighed and thought to myself, ‘Only a boy…’

So today is Monday and, to you Fly Ladies out there, it’s Home Blessing Day-time to gather up the laundry and get our other household chores under way. I pulled the sheets off our bed, whisked up a sweatshirt Bill left lying on the floor (because in his world all clothes are independently capable of finding their way to the laundry room…uh, via me!) then made a pit stop in Michael’s room to grab the dirty clothes from his basket (yes, his toys may all be scattered hither and yon, but he knows to at least get his clothes in that basket! I’m apparently doing some good in that child’s life-hallelujah!) Halfway to the laundry room, semi-sorting darks and whites as I go, I feel an undeniably cold, smooth, pushing squirm of what can only be…bug legs in my hand! I screamed and tossed my armful of clothes in the air, shaking my hands free of the yucky bug willies--blech!! And there on the floor landed a fat grey cricket!

(meet the Tennessee cave cricket)

They’ve moved indoors now that the weather has gotten cooler and, really, I’m fine if I see them out in the garage. I’m a nature girl, but with limits! I don’t want bugs in my house and especially not hiding in my laundry!! I'm barely tolerating the spider under my kitchen cabinet...it's just too little to squish-I do have a heart after all.

Okay, so now I have this rogue cricket on my floor amid the dirty laundry and not one of the dogs will come to my rescue to eat this thing so I won’t have to touch it again. Sweet Pea helped herself to a dirty sock, however, and scooted off on her merry way to slobber up her fresh found footwear. I grabbed a tissue and gently covered my little unwanted guest, rolled him up quickly and tossed him out the door. Sweet Pea swiftly followed and shredded the Kleenex, but the cricket escaped out the side, giving a backward glance at me as if to say, "This isn’t over lady-I’ll be back!" Thanks Sweet Pea…no treats for you!