The Things People Give You When You Have Sons

People are often surprised to find out we have five sons. Almost every time we go out in public we get the same questions. Usually its something like this...

Stranger: Are all of these kids yours?

Us: Yes.

Stranger: All boys?

Us: Yes.

Stranger: Wow! You really have your hands full!

...Or other similar variants including them counting out that there are five and looking positively shocked. Of course there are times we get that evil question about whether we are going to try for a girl or not. I usually answer with a simple no. While we may have another baby at some point, the point of having another baby would not to be to try to achieve the glorious prospect of a daughter. How would you feel if you were one of six kids and your parents told you that #s three through five were just failed attempts to get a girl. That drives me crazy. CRAZY! We have kids because we want them, whether they are boys or girls (although I admit a horrible fear of having a girl someday, they are very scary to me.) I am very happy to have five sons.

Having sons is always interesting. We have received more than the usual share of bug houses over the years as well as a kit to make glycerin soap with huge plastic spiders inside (which the boys loved). We get trucks and action figures and just plain BOY things. Today D brought yet another bug house home, this time from a co-worker. Two bug houses actually, but only one of them came with an inhabitant. A lovely yellow spider. D's co-worker thought the boys would like it. Of course they did like it. Where is MY say though?! I don't like spiders. I used to have no problems with them at all until a traumatic experience involving what at the time seemed like a hoard of zombie spiders returning from the dead and crawling back out of the vacuum tube after I was sure I had sent them all to their doom via our lovely vacuum cleaner. Ever since then spiders have given me the willies....shudder.

So far there is a potato bug and a moth awaiting their doom in the spider's house. I am not sure how long I can stand to keep the thing. It may get a new home out in the woods behind our house before long, especially if it doesn't eat any of the bugs we put in there with it. If any of you are looking for the perfect gift for little boys...bug houses are great, but please leave the spiders out of them!

Any ideas for a name for our lovely spider? Feel free to study the picture for inspiration. I came up with Mellow Yellow after the song. I would love to hear your ideas!