The Spider

Setting the Stage:
Just arrived home from work/daycare.  Dad is gone to Calgary for the week. Kids decide to go play in the basement, I might add nicely, no fights, not yelling, just playing!  Mom is in the kitchen making spaghetti for supper.  Mom hears screaming and crying from basement.  Thinking, what are they fighting over now, I finish stirring the browning ground beef and head downstairs.

The Scene:
As I peer down the stairs I see Madelyn sitting on the floor sort of by the tv, with toys around her, freaking out, I cannot understand what she is saying, as I proceed down, now thinking maybe I should have not taken my time to stir the meat I see Will up on a table basically curled up in a fetal position, crying and pointing towards Madelyn. 

Observation:
Apparently this is not another fight over a toy or how a specific game was to be played. 

Analysis:
A black spider is crawling on Madelyn's shirt.

Observation:
Both kids are screaming "spider" and on the verge of hyperventilating because a spider (granted a bit bigger than many I have seen in the basement before) is crawling on Madelyn's shirt.  Will thinks the spider is going to bite Madelyn and hurt her, Madelyn is freaking out because well, Will is freaking out.  She has the whole arm flapping, heart racing, paralysed look to her.

Action:
Mommy gets a kleenex and squishes the spider.  Madelyn calms down once she see the spider squished up in the kleenex, but is not leaving my side.  Will is still on the table, still notably upset.  I go to help him down and give him a snuggle (note kleenex still in hand).  He freaks out and tells me to put it in the garbage before he will come down.  I comply.  Will comes off table.

Aftermath:
1. I now have 2 spaghetti making helpers in the kitchen.
2. We have a lengthy discussion how spiders will not hurt you.  We don't have bad spiders that hurt you in Canada (I think Will had seen a show on dangerous bugs one time and there were some poisonous spiders on it).
3. We discuss what we do if we see a spider.  Do not cry or scream, just come and get Mommy or Daddy and we will squish it. Will added that he could also get his daycare lady or Auntie or Uncle or Grandma or Grandpa, any adult.  I agreed.
4. We do not call the police office or firefighter if we see a spider.  See list above for acceptable people to call.  Yes, Will did suggest he could call the police officer or firefighter if he seen a spider, because they keep you safe. We comply to the fact that police officers and firefighters, although could squish a spider are for big emergencies like a fire or if a bad guy is trying to hurt you.
5. We eat spaghetti.
6. We all go downstairs to play and clean up toys.  Kids cannot clean up toys because  they are on spider watch.  Will from his perch on the stairs, Madelyn from the Woody chair.
7. Eventually we all begin playing downstairs and kids decide the basement is now spider free.

Bedtime:
Will tucks into bed, no concern about the "spider incident", Madelyn as well.... Ten minutes later, I hear screaming, there is a spider on me coming from Madelyn's room.  I go in calm her down explain there are no spiders, the stuffed monkey she is sleeping with will protect her from spiders.  All is well, tucked back in.  Five minutes later "Mommy spider, spider eating my arm." Again I go in calm her down, her poor little heart was beating so fast I thought it might jump out of her chest. I use "Spider Spray" in room to get rid of all the spiders. We are good, tucked in back out goes Mommy. Five minutes later, Spider Mommy, Spider on me". Mommy goes in and snuggles with Madelyn until she is basically asleep. Mommy sneaks out of room (now 9:00), waiting for the next spider incident.  All is quiet.  Mommy decides at 10pm that she best go to bed as she is convinced that there will be "Spider incidents" overnight, much to her surprise this does not occur and she has to wake up a very tired girl (who did not fall asleep until an hour after normal bedtime) for daycare at 7am.

Conclusion:
I hope the kids do not find anymore spiders in the basement.