So, Halloween day started out innocently enough. Jaya came in at 6:40 a.m to tell me that Dad's coffee maker was making noises. She proceeded to try to make the gurgle and bubble noises. I jumped up as fast as I could and tried to cover up the fact that Jaxx was sleeping next to me. I felt like a guilty kid trying to hide the candy sitting in plain site next to me. Jaxx crawled into bed next to me, at some point last night. I vaguely remember him saying something like "your bed is so comfy" as he shimmied his little buns under the covers. The coffee machine was set to start making coffee at 6:30 and it is sort of loud, I guess it woke up the "tornado". So, when she came blowing into our room, the first thing I thought of was her seeing Jaxx sleeping next to me. The last thing I need is for her to start thinking this is an o.k. policy. I have not been able to break the first kid from it, I certainly don't need a second one in there too. I really couldn't get up fast enough and basically pushed a very cozy and settled in, Jaxx, right off the edge as I did.
Up and at 'em, at least I knew the coffee was ready. It was one of those mornings that I thought I had plenty of time to get ready and then ended up rushing around. The kids had parties in class today so I had little t shirts for them to wear since there was no costumes allowed. I got Jaxx's out and he got dressed, while I was drying my hair. Jaya, however, was trying to find hers and took out about everything in her drawers to find it. I guess she enlisted Jace in the hunt, at some point, because she came in with it on and other very NON matching things. This went on for awhile until I finally went into her room and found the clothes scattered everywhere. I got her dressed, rushed outside to take some pics and buckle them in the car.
I set my cell phone gently on the top of the car while trying to wrangle Jaya and her pettiskirt in the car seat. Can you guess where my cell phone ended up? I called Jace from a payphone about 4 miles down the road to ask him to go look at the route I took and see if he could find it. He did, crushed to smitherings and looking like it had been run over about a million times. The silver lining was, at least I had the memory out of it, so that I didn't lose all my numbers. Tomorrow I will be at the phone store!
The kids helped me make breadstick bones at dinner time. Hmmm, I wonder if you can tell which one Jaya contributed? The others didn't make it to the tray since I looked up and found them wrapped around her feet. Should have gotten a pic of that!
After dinner and tub, it was time to get ready for the big night!
This one almost looks like he is too cool to be hugging a Princess. I tried to get him to give her a kiss. That was idea was turned down faster than a loan application in a recession.
I sat some chairs out on the driveway and Jace stayed at the house while I took the kids around the neighborhood. Mom and Dad came over and then our friend Chris, soon there were 5 or 6 chairs out there while we chatted. Jace had the wine flowing and I was sort of going inside and out. I put the kids to bed and Mom read them a story so I popped out there again. Of course, the topic ended up being political so I didn't stay out there long. Let's just suffice it to say that we are all not voting the same in the Johnson family and politics and booze is not a good mix. I mean, really, we don't even need booze for it to get heated so I came back in to watch Lipstick Jungle ( new night, new episode). I had planned to be planted in front of the t.v. at 9. I don't know how I have evolved into a such a boring and predictable human, but I have.
Mom said she was going to tell Dad she was ready to go and I told her I would see her tomorrow for Jaxx's golf lessons. I had just heated the leather to my rear when she came running in with this look on her face. It was a look that said something is happening outside that is unusual but I just can't get it out of my mouth. She finally said she needed a tupperware or bowl right away. I was actually able to take a breath and say to myself, "self, it is fine, just a scorpion again" . Oh, I said "Is there a scorpion?". Jace has found 2 scorpions at this house that could carry the house away if they wanted . I am not kidding, the kind you see in resin, being sold at the novelty shop at the zoo, they came from our house.
"NO! A rattlesnake!"
What! A rattlesnake! Now, as I am typing this, I don't really know why I continued to look for a tupperware bowl. I mean, I even remember thinking, what size should I get? As I am rushing outside, all sorts of visions are running through my head. I was just out there barefoot, my kids were out there with their socks on, how big is it? Where is it? Where did it come from? How long had it been there?
So, I get outside and there it is under the chair that Jace was sitting in for about 2 hours chatting it up. It was about 15 or 18 inches long, so not very big, which makes it more dangerous. Now, keep in mind that Mom and I are the only ones that have not been drinking. Chris is telling me to get a shovel, which would be easy enough except the I would have to walk through the two cars in the garage and the snake is firmly planted dead center of the two cars....in the garage. I am scrambling to find something and Jace is saying that he is going to put the tupperware over the snake. Now, I have visons of being in the ER with Jace while all the people in there are making jokes about some guy that has been drinking, playing with a rattlesnake. I regain common sense and finally realize that the tupperware bowl is NOT a good idea. I just really want this snake away from the cars and the garage. I find a stick that we have in the garage that we use when we walk.....in the desert. How ironic! I yell at Chris to get it out of the garage. He flings it down the drive way and almost on to Dad. Then Jace thinks he can get the tupperware bowl on now:) Chris and I are adamant that this is not happening. A semi truck carrying turf grass, drives up and shines a flash light down on it so we can all confirm what we know....it is, indeed, a rattlesnake. The truckdriver says to kill it. I think we looked liked we needed some direction to go. Here are 5 adults looking at a baby rattlesnake. One has a stick in his hand, one has a tupperware bowl in his hand, one has a glass of wine in his hand and two women that are ready to climb on top of the car. Yeah, I think we looked like needed guidance! The snake was pissed off at this point. It has been flung around and had some giant trying to come at it with a large dome shaped item. It has struck out a few times but it small enough that it just takes one good blow with the stick and it is dead. The big game hunters examine their kill for a minute, talk about eating it and then carry it ever so gingerly, by the tail, to the garbage can.
Now, I have to examine this. These guys have been out there for hours, Chris looks down and calmly tells Jace that there is a snake under his chair. Jace jumps up and they realize that it is a rattlesnake. My questions are, when did it arrive? Where did it come from? Are there more of them in the area? How close were any of us ,at any given time ,as we danced, talked and walked around barefoot????
I didn't get a picture of the snake since it was a frantic few moments. I thought about going and taking one as it lie in the garbage can but .... I didn't like looking at the scorpions, let alone, a rattlesnake. The idea that we had one so close to the kids, freaks me out. I hate the thought of it. So, if you read this blog and have thoughts that Arizona is some dry desert with rattlesnakes, scorpions and gun toting cowboys, I just about confirmed that, in this story. We really are a civilized society with upscale malls and exclusive spas. A wonderful vacation spot ;)
So, it was a scary Halloween that we won't forget. How as yours?
Cortney K.
It is Grace's first Christmas!
