It has been a hectic, yet fun-filled Christmas season. Jackson understands more and more about Christ's birth and the reason He needed to come "save us from sins". Hannah was started to say "Jesus" ("Jeez Jeez") and could point to characters in the nativity scenes. My heart was happy. We were all geared up for some family celebrations and a quiet Christmas at home.
Then some odd things began to happen.
After Jackson's family Birthday Party on Christmas Eve morning, we were resting around the house for a little bit before venturing out to Granddaddy and GranDee's for dinner and presents. I went to grab their presents from under the tree when I saw a bug on the window next to the tree. That's weird, I thought. I killed it and then went in for the presents. And that is when I saw them.
Uninvited Christmas guests. Many, too many tiny black bugs. Ones I had never seen before. They were everywhere under the tree and some in the bagged presents.
I'll admit it. I freaked out a bit.
Every present was removed from the tree, taken apart and inspected. Mike moved the tree over some and I vacuumed tons of dead bugs from under the tree. What were those things and HOW did they get in my house??
And then I looked closer. Through a gap between branches I saw the trunk of the tree. It was black from bunches and bunches of those black bugs.
That is when I really wigged out. Oh my goodness, it was disgusting!!
Mike and I threw on a movie or two for the kids while we quickly grabbed all the ornaments off the tree. Then we drug it out on the deck (with gloves!) and Mike took all the lights off. I continued vacuuming like a crazy woman and inspecting every nook and cranny for more of those suckers. And felt itchy all over. Ugh!
And then he sprayed a LOT of raid on it. My hero! :)
And in case you think I am exaggerating, here's a look at the tree (post raid):
We are considering artificial for next year.
Daddy removed the scrawny tree we use in the loft and put all the presents under it. Let's just say Charlie Brown would be proud.
We changed clothes, cleaned up, and went on our merry way. Disaster averted. (Can you imagine if we had left town for a week and came home to a larger infestation?? **shudder**) With a little google research, our only guess is that the tree came with a bug or two... that we didn't see...and the warm temperatures in our home caused the eggs to hatch in the 4 weeks we have had the tree.
But wait, there's more...
Christmas Evening I was sitting at the dining table decorating cookies for my daddy and watching the snow fall. I smelled something odd... like plastic burning. The scent would come and go. Mike and I wandered all over the house smelling everything to find the culprit.
The scent got stronger. We finally discovered the smell was strongest around a light switch, which was confirmed by the switch plate feeling abnormally warm. I had the cell in my hand ready to call the fire department out to my house on a snowy Christmas night.
Mike talked me down.
He took the plate off and inspected. Fortunately we have a good friend, Fleegle, who is an electrical guru. He and Mike worked out the problem - a burned out or faulty dimmer switch. Praise God that I have a handyman husband! He removed all the bad parts, taped up the wires and we'll get a new switch after this snow has subsided. Scent is gone.
I still asked him sleep on the couch just in case something else was going on with the wiring, so he could be close and could alert us if we needed to get out. The switch is just below Hannah's room and really scared me.
Can you imagine the potential disaster if we had not been home?? God is good, friends. Very good.
We are now enjoying the remnant of a White Christmas. It is beautiful, and it has kept us from leaving early to visit family out of town. Which, we see in hindsight, is not such a bad thing at all.
1 comment:
Man, that IS a Christmas to remember!
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