Kade saw a spider running across the kitchen floor today. I went to step on it, but his little tender heart rushed to its rescue and he gently set it free in the backyard. (Only to be squished a heartless death by my shoe when Kade wasn't looking.)
This little spider started quite the commotion in our family.
Kade was shocked and appalled that I would think of smashing one of "Gods special, little creatures" and proceeded to lecture us all on the importance of saving the planet one spider at a time. He reminded us that spiders kill all the ants and bugs that get into your house, so really we should have a bunch of spiders around. Maybe even a pet tarantula?
Tanner went into panic mode because he inherited the "I hate spiders more than anything in the whole wide world" gene from his dad. He was worried there were more lurking nearby and started to scour the kitchen on a seek and destroy mission. (Although he was slightly intrigued by the idea of having a pet tarantula.)
Kade lecture ended with something about how we wouldn't go around smashing cats and dogs just for the fun of it, so we shouldn't smash spiders either. Weston only heard the "smash the cats and dogs" part and ran out to the garage to grab the snow shovel so he could get busy smashing. (While Wes is not a violent child, he does have a very interesting imagination that sometimes leaves you scratching your head. A snow shovel and cat smashing.....? Where did that come from?)
Weston's enthusiasm set both Kade and Tanner off again, Kade with his non-violence agenda and Tanner because he LOVES doggies and kitties and it would not be nice to smash them. There were real tears from both boys. Very intense.
This whole time I had been trying, very calmly, to help everyone settle down and not to worry.
It wasn't working.
So I had to break out my yell voice.
I told Wes to go put the snow shovel back in the garage and to quite freaking his brothers out, told Tanner that NO kitties or doggies would ever be smashed with a snow shovel, Weston was just being silly, (although slightly inappropriate,) and remind Kade that a spider would bite him without a second thought and that we held a very strict, no spiders in the house policy.
Peace was restored.
At least until the next spider gets brave enough to walk across the kitchen floor.