Super-quick post maybe, mainly photos that didn’t load yesterday. But also something else, that should only take up about two minutes: tarantulas. Also, I was planning to say something nice about Kylie, but really I can only say this: If Kylie had just ignored that first giant tarantula lowering itself from the ceiling, we wouldn’t be in this situation, right? I mean, this girl is a resplendent gem otherwise. But when it comes to looking at tarantulas and other distressing insects in our house, she’s terribly good at seeing them. Now there was that time yesterday when Raines stifled a shriek and said, “Mami, ¿Qué fue eso?!” [Mommy, what was that?!]. I tried to tell him that whatever he saw was probably one of the mice we live with, but mice don’t have more than four legs, he said, so… no. No. No. Yeah, and you should’ve seen his little hands trying to show how big it was. I guess partial blame for this situation can fall on the five year old. But not me; I have nothing to do with it.

Six tarantulas have been humanely (as far as we’ve seen…sorry, no photos because, um, emotional reactions.) removed from our house since yesterday morning. And since they decided to spray in hopes of encouraging their search for a home in…well, anywhere else, we have seen even more. Eep. Let’s just say that my prayers last night were spoken out loud, with the name of Jesus (more than two times), and from under the carefully secured mosquito net. Oh yeah, and yesterday I thought all the bugs in the bathroom were about, well, the bathroom–but nope. When I looked in the sink, I saw something fuzzy. First thought: furry tarantula lying in wait to not only bite me but also pee on me (I’ll explain in a few sentences). Then I regained composure, stopped turning red, and looked again. A poor baby mouse had gotten stuck in the drain and died. I got it out and buried it by stylishly flinging it into the garden. We were informed yesterday that this type of tarantula, some kind of horse spider they call it, isn’t so deadly if it bites you, but you can lose limbs/use of limbs if it pees on you. I just…well, sit with that for a minute and be grateful for your giant sealed houses. I love it here, though, really! I love our avocado trees, I love our dirt pile, I love these blue skies, I really like this school, and I am thoroughly digging the hammock I’m swinging in right now. You could be here.

Hang spot

Be like Brave

You can ask Raines about his “cape” if you’d like, and how it came to be his.

Kevin + minions

Walk home

Montado a caballo

Kylie switched to the fastest horse.

Me, her, them

Cementerio

Chela en un mandarino

Catching the mandarins as Kylie tossed them down

Perfect.

Trepando

Raines-picked mandarin

Sylvan stopped at this random door, pushed it open, and then turned around and said “Bye!”

Maybe my favorite part of this photo should be La Mariposa’s beautiful reserve behind us, but it’s not. I like Kylie’s hair the best here. If only she could make this happen every day.

How we do

Arián Fabián, our guide, + my uncroppable thumb