My Little Camel Cricket "C"illing Hero

For those of you who know me well...you know there are a few things I dislike GREATLY! On of the top thing on my list (right under frogs...) is nasty camel crickets. I have been startled by them since I was a kid when one jumped over me while I was laying on the floor watching cartoons. To remedy this fear (as I was not the only female member of my home afraid of these horrible creatures), my dad decided to put out those sticky boards to catch these things as they hopped from one adventuresome place to another. So, on top of being afraid of them and having to see them stuck on these little boards...there were many times that I forgot where the boards were and ended up stepping on top of these nasty "hanging on for dear life" crickets....groooossssssss!

>>>>Fast forward to a few weeks ago.

Mark usually folds the laundry after it has been washed and dried...but this particular week, he was extremely busy and the laundry was starting to pile up in front of the dryer...so I decided that I would fold the clothes before heading out to teach some swim lessons. Titus was standing next to me in the hall as I picked up each piece of the laundry...and wouldn't you know...one of those nasty creatures jumped out of the pile......I yelled...."Oh my gosh that is just gross" to which Titus immediately began repeating..."oh mi goooosh, grosssss" over and over again. I was prancing up and down the hall freaking out and laughing at his immediate response to my startling him. After I got control of myself (good thing the bathroom is right across the hall:), I shook out all the laundry...and then placed it on top of the dryer for Mark to finish up at a later time. I also explained to Titus that mommy reacted instead of acting in that situation....and that he needed to stop saying....oh mi goshhh, grosssss.

>>>>>>Fast Forward to the next morning....

I, again, was in the laundry area switching over a load before heading out to the YMCA. Titus was in the hallway jabbering away and in my subconcious I heard him saying, "Bug, squish it, Bug, squish it.....grosssss". I chuckled thingking that he was remembering our incident from the day before. As I closed the laundery door....I realized that he had single footedly squished that nasty creature that had taunted my sanctification the morning before. He was so proud and kept stomping his foot saying, "Bug, squish it". I cheered for him and told him that he had helped make mommy feel safe...yada yada yada...and I gave him a treat I even though it was 8:15am in the morning) and then we yelled for daddy to come and see the squished bug! I grabbed the camera and snapped a pic as Titus reinacted what had taken place. What a joy it was to see him step up and be a man in order to protect his mommy from another horrible encounter with that nasty creature...the camel cricket!