So, last week the Young Prince was off school, and he spent huge chunks of time in my office.
Today, he returned to class. So what did I do? I took the day off. Because that's just how I roll. I'd rather have a day off by myself than take a day off with my kid and -- I don't know, do something mildly entertaining, if not outright fun.
This is not really the case, of course. It just sort of feels that way. Actually, I took today off because I was looking around our place yesterday and was completely overwhelmed with how much stuff Really Ought To Get Done Right Frigging Now Today. Those brush piles won't move themselves, you know!
So I was all set. I'd work my usual 5 a.m. to 10, then as soon as someone else logged on for work, I'd go put a dent in all this yard work and maintenance and bleeblah.
Except at 10, I got up from under my laptop to find all my little ant friends had come out to play in my kitchen.
I'm extremely exasperated with this. There I was, congratulating myself that we had finally accomplished an Easter where we didn't have an infestation that meant we had to throw out half the candy before the kid even knew it was Easter, and the little buggers had gone and done an end run around me into my pantry.
So, I thought, at least I have a good blog post.
Then I saw on Facebook that friggin' everyone has friggin' ants.
Oh, well. Misery, company, all that.
My main problem with ants is not so much dealing with them in the immediate crisis. It's kind of irritating, and they are a pain to get rid of, but I don't fiddle around with it. I don't really hold much hope for ant traps or organic deterrents or whatever. I am a drown-them-in-poison girl. (Yes, even in my kitchen. And yes, as a matter of fact I do love my kid just as much as you love yours, so don't even start in on me about killing him with DDT or whatever. It may be that I love my kid more, because I will not give him a bowl of cereal that turns black when you add milk.)
(I had a roommate who suffered that fate. I don't think he has been able to eat Lucky Charms ever since.)
No, my problem -- and I'm sure I'm not alone -- is the psych-out after-effect trauma. I can shower three times and still feel them crawling on me. I get a tickle in my throat and I'm sure I've swallowed one that's trying to crawl back to freedom. I get all heebiejeebied if the wind blows a little and my hair hits my neck funny. Urgh.
The YP is not nearly as put out by all this. He tends to ignore them -- and attract them, by creating crumbs. The only real acknowledgment he has given them was to tell me my sweeping up wasn't working: "Mom, you need to bug-spray your broom. Half the dirt in your pile here is crawling away."
I guess I should be grateful he isn't setting them on fire with a magnifying glass, right? Or maybe not?
So I sprayed my kitchen down, then scrubbed it. Sprayed every ant trail and entry point I could find on the ground floor, then scrubbed up those. Then I went outside and pressure-washed pretty much the whole house. (This is not a reaction to ants. This was on my stay-home agenda in the first place.)
And now, it is 3 p.m. and my feet hurt and I have showered and I'm basically done for the day. I'll be knitting if you need me. Those brush piles are gonna have to move themselves. But I've got my can of Raid handy, just in case.



