7 Plagues

Is that what they are called?

Here's last night - ready?

Chuck got up at 3am to tell the kids to go back to bed. They have, as you'll recall, picked up the really nasty habit of getting up at 3-4am most days. I always am the one to address this in the night, as Chuck is always the one to get up in the morning. The "real" morning.

Anyway, Chuck got up, told Jack to go back to his own room and told them both to go back to sleep. A bit later they were at it again. Chuck again beat me to the punch and got in there.

When he came back, I apologized for not hearing them, and promptly got dive-bombed by some insect. I brushed it off and tried to go back to sleep. Then I had one on my arm. Fine. I always freak out about insects when I think they are on me, but I was trying to behave so I stayed quiet.

Looking back on it, I also heard some sort of...well...fluttering sound, coming from near the window (which is 6 inches away from Chuck's side of the bed).

After a few minutes, Chuck whispered "are you awake?" and I whispered "yep" and he whispered "can I turn the light on?" and I whispered "sure." He turned his reading light on but I couldn't see past him and I think I had my eyes closed anyway.

He turned it back off and got up out of bed calmly. I got up too because I had to go to the bathroom. As I walked into the bathroom, Chuck goes "I'm going to vacuum some bugs up, is that okay?" and I was completely confused but nodded. I was even more confused because it was totally dark in the room.

This is 4am, by the way.

I said "why don't you turn the light on?" and he goes "I've seen enough." I said it again and he turned it on, and then I understood.

PILES of winged something or others all over the windowsill next to Chuck's side, and once the light went on, they all took flight towards the ceiling fan. They were all over the bed too.

OMG it was AWFUL. Are you squirming? Well good! I was too and now you all have to share it.  So there.

Ryker came in, hearing the shop vac running. (4am, remember?)

I got him back to his room, then Jack back to his. I came out to the living room and started googling "there are insects flying around my bedroom." Flying ants, it turns out. I didn't know ants could fly. They can. Not well, but they can. Ryker's light went on. I went in there, turned it off, came back out. Jack's light went on. I went back, ordered Ryk into Jack's room, and declared a slumber party. We piled on to Jack's bed and I read them stories about flying ants off the iPad. Around 5am I let them turn a movie on because they couldn't sleep (I have no idea WHY) and I tried unsuccessfully to sleep myself. Chuck was 60 minutes into his 90 minute marathon vacuuming session and visions of flying ants danced in all of our heads.

Anyway, all's well that ends well. I met Larry the Exterminator, who is the greatest guy ever. Owner/operator and just a sweet older guy. He had a great time harassing me about my growing fear of bugs - telling me these ants had been here awhile, "watching" me. Thanks Larry.

I think they are all taken care of though. I will try to sleep tonight. Wish me luck.