When Elina and Eli Met Hairy

Last week we found a lovely guest on our front porch...A TARANTULA!!

I have no idea where we've moved to.  Most of the time I love it because we have this huge window by our dining table and we can always look out to see lots of cool wildlife.  There are coyotes, deer, rabbits, lizards, and hawks...just to name a few.  But now there are tarantulas?!?  I'm definitely not into that.  I'm just not an insect/arachnid/critter kinda girl.

Well, this anti-insect/arachnid/critter-kinda girl somehow ended up with a pet tarantula!  Yes, that's right.  In our dining/kitchen area we have a 10 gallon tank with our new pet tarantula that Elina has cleverly named Hairy (aka Harry).

Originally it was in a little tank and the kids fed it katydids and moths they found in our yard.  But after almost a week, we had to decide if we wanted to bite the bullet and make Hairy a family member.  Well, you know how I voted on that one....but, unfortunately, my other human family members decided Hairy should live in our home.  So, this anti-insect/arachnid/critter-kinda girl had to go to a pet store and purchase everything to make Hairy a new, happy home.  What's messed up is that I had to purchase Hairy some crickets to feed him every other day (the kids haven't had any luck finding insects in our yard since Friday)...and then I had to buy the crickets food so that they don't die off too soon.  What??  I had to purchase food to feed Hairy's food!

We're using this as a good opportunity to teach the kids how to take care of something.  They have to feed him every other day and also mist his tank twice a week.  I'll be happy if they can handle that much.  And actually, Elina is my good little cricket-picker-upper.  Without her, B would have to be responsible for the feedings.  Because you know me and insects!

We even decorated the inside of Hairy's tank with these "spoon bugs" we made.  They're a great craft idea from this month's Family Fun magazine.

So, even though I don't like to look at you too closely, Hairy, I have to say...Welcome to the family!