Things you don't want to hear while you're making dinner...

Trent: Mommy! I saw a snake!
Me: A pretend snake? Like maybe a stick?
Trevor: NO! A real live snake. It moved and I went "AAAAAAAA!"
Me: What color is the snake? (still not sure if said snake is fictional)
In unison: Black!
Me: And how big is the snake?
Trevor holding his arms far apart: This big!
Both jabbering at once excitedly about the wagon and it was there in the grass and it moved so they yelled and ran up to the house and left the wagon there by the snake...
Trent: Let's go see it again!
Trevor: Yeah!
Me: Wait a second, I'm going with you.

It was an adult gray rat snake. In spite of my initial shock, it was also a great teaching moment because the snake slid into a patch of ivy as we watched and talked about the pattern on the snake that he uses to hide from birds that might want to eat him AND how he was completely hidden in that ivy. I said, "See? Remember when I told you not to walk through the ivy because snakes hide in there? That snake is in there right now and even though he's big, you can't see him at all. If you stepped on him, he'd get scared and bite you and even though he probably isn't poisonous, it would still hurt. Stay out of the ivy."

 

Eek! I think I would totally freak out! You are one cool cucumber Deb!

 

QUOTE(debid @ May 14 2009, 10:46 PM) [snapback]1314462[/snapback]
it was also a great teaching moment

I too would have had a great teaching moment had I been in your shoes. I would have taught my girls how to run very fast in the other direction. :laughing:

Seriously, that is awesome that you were able to go out there. :bow2: Blech!!

 

I should say that we have snakes as regular guests in our yard but this is my first sighting of this particular variety. I've seen maybe 6 different species (none of them poisonous) but I don't typically know what they are without looking them up. I did learn the 4 venemous ones just so I wouldn't freak out over the harmless ones.

 

QUOTE(MichelleL @ May 14 2009, 10:58 PM) [snapback]1314480[/snapback]
I too would have had a great teaching moment had I been in your shoes. I would have taught my girls how to run very fast in the other direction. :laughing:


That's exactly what my two would have learned. :shok: Holy snake!!

 

Yikes!

 

You are braver than I. I took the dog out the other night and almost jumped out of my skin when I went down the steps and almost stepped on one. I don't mind the little ones, but ewwww.

That was a great lesson taught though!!!!!

Jen

 

You are my hero. Like Michelle and Liz, my teachable moment would have been how to scream loudly and run.... and then be afraid to go in the backyard ever again.

 

QUOTE(Leighann @ May 15 2009, 09:01 AM) [snapback]1314796[/snapback]
You are my hero. Like Michelle and Liz, my teachable moment would have been how to scream loudly and run.... and then be afraid to go in the backyard ever again.


Me too! I would have to taught the kids how to quickly list your house on "ForSaleByOwner"!

:rotflmbo:

Snakes scare me ...

 

Awesome! I love snakes, your house sounds cool.

 

WE have garden snakes--that is what went through my mind when I started to read your posst. We like those snakes. That one......WAY too big for my comfort level. Way to go mom!

 

Debi, I'm right there with you! We have bull snakes on our property and I've had a few teachable moments lately. DH and I are trying to instill in our girls the fact that snakes aren't scary, but we must have gone a little too far because last weekend the girls wanted to pet a six foot snake that was stretched out in the shade by their swingset. They got within a few feet of it before I realized their intent and had to rush over to say 'No, we don't touch snakes. They're shy and you're bigger so you could scare the snake. So just look, don't touch'. And the whole time I really wanted to yell 'Run! Run into the house and jump on a chair!'

 

AAAAAAACK. I don't know what I'd do if we had a snake, because my DH is actually more ooged out by them than I am. He will gallantly kill spiders and cockroaches and trap mice, etc. -- but if there's a snake, I'm on my own. :lol:

 

QUOTE(debid @ May 14 2009, 08:46 PM) [snapback]1314462[/snapback]
Trent: Mommy! I saw a snake!
Me: A pretend snake? Like maybe a stick?
Trevor: NO! A real live snake. It moved and I went "AAAAAAAA!"
Me: What color is the snake? (still not sure if said snake is fictional)
In unison: Black!
Me: And how big is the snake?
Trevor holding his arms far apart: This big!
Both jabbering at once excitedly about the wagon and it was there in the grass and it moved so they yelled and ran up to the house and left the wagon there by the snake...
Trent: Let's go see it again!
Trevor: Yeah!
Me: Wait a second, I'm going with you.

It was an adult gray rat snake. In spite of my initial shock, it was also a great teaching moment because the snake slid into a patch of ivy as we watched and talked about the pattern on the snake that he uses to hide from birds that might want to eat him AND how he was completely hidden in that ivy. I said, "See? Remember when I told you not to walk through the ivy because snakes hide in there? That snake is in there right now and even though he's big, you can't see him at all. If you stepped on him, he'd get scared and bite you and even though he probably isn't poisonous, it would still hurt. Stay out of the ivy."


I'm so completely skeeved out right now I can't even begin to tell you!!! :faint: I would die if I had to deal with a lot of snakes. It's my biggest fear! :faint:

 

you should have told the snake to keep kind out of my house. the snake that i found in my bathroom about 2 weeks ago was a baby ratsnake. luckily not posionous since i almost stepped on him

 

:shok: We have a lot of black snakes around here, that are harmless, but totally freak me out nonetheless!

 

QUOTE(becky5 @ May 17 2009, 10:58 AM) [snapback]1317002[/snapback]
:shok: We have a lot of black snakes around here, that are harmless, but totally freak me out nonetheless!


Are they the black racers? We have those here and they frighten me just because they are so very fast. Even though my brain knows they are more interested in escaping a startled human than anything else, it hasn't escaped my notice that they could probably outrun me!

 

Oh my...you guys sure know how to have a good time! How long was it?

Kudos for handling it calmly and educationally...I'd be running for the hills myself. Bugs don't bother me....rodents & snakes I'm simply not fond of.

 

Amazing!! My kids would love your house... so would I. You did great!!

No snakes in the city here, but we have enough snake charmers hanging out at the beach, for my kids to hold one every once in a while.

 

Great teaching lesson. I probably would have done the same thing. In my husband's culture snacks are sacred and we want to teach them to respect them...from a reasonable distance of course.

 

QUOTE(adia2007 @ May 17 2009, 12:25 PM) [snapback]1317102[/snapback]
Great teaching lesson. I probably would have done the same thing. In my husband's culture snacks are sacred and we want to teach them to respect them...from a reasonable distance of course.


I have this mental picture of an altar for a box of Goldfish... Pretty sure you meant snakes are sacred but thank you for the giggle!

Oh, and the snake in question was at least 3' and had the curves of a mom-to-be or a recent meal though I couldn't tell you which.

 

QUOTE(debid @ May 17 2009, 02:36 PM) [snapback]1317276[/snapback]
I have this mental picture of an altar for a box of Goldfish... Pretty sure you meant snakes are sacred but thank you for the giggle!

Oh, and the snake in question was at least 3' and had the curves of a mom-to-be or a recent meal though I couldn't tell you which.



LOL on both your statements. I love your humor, Debi.