Getting Out of the House II

So I learned my lesson to not congratulate myself on being early. Because God does have a great sense of humor!

After I taught the class, I went to pick up my dear little child. She decided to have a little fashion show while I was gone. I should have taken a picture of the outfit that she have convinced the teachers to let her wear. But picture this: orange flower too small pants that are now capris, beautiful colorful and pastel sweater, striped brightly colored socks, and brown shoes. Some battles are not worth picking and I took her home in this outfit. After we get in the car with this wonderful outfit on I remembered we needed to stop by the store and pick up roach bait (we just have a few persistent little roaches that refuse to DIE!).

Lydia is quite tickled with her outfit AND she wanted to carry her empty purse into Lowes. So to entertain the child I gave her a couple treasures to carry in her purse and I set out to read the ingredients listed on the roach bait. Lydia is quite entertained and I am quite enthralled with reading the chemical names on the roach bait. I wasn't paying attention and I picked up a box of liquid roach bait to read the box. I have roaches on the brain and am a little grossed out by this reading and the liquid in this box moved. I SCREAMED. Loudly. And threw the offending box of roach bait across the aisle. Thankfully for me there was nobody within the line of my throw but many employees heard my scream and came running.

The crazy woman explained herself to the employees (and no I did not buy that liquid bait!). As I was walking away I realized that Lydia and I are quite the sight to behold. I am dressed like a sweaty dance teacher. She is dressed like, well I don't know what look she was going for! And I am screaming in fright over roach bait.

So morals of the story:

1. Don't count your eggs before they hatch (I think we are going to aim at leaving the house at 8:20!)
2. Ordering roach baits online is really the best way to go :) 

Power of Borax

I admit it. We have had a roach problem at our house. All summer we have looked at outside at night and seen 50+ roaches all over our back deck. GROSS!!!!! Walking through our yard they would literally just be hopping around at your feet. So all summer I have tried everything imaginable to kill these little guys. And nothing has worked. It has been like a ticking bomb because I knew that once the weather turned cooler they would be inside.

I have kept the back porch cleaned. Fail.

We have put out outdoor roach traps. Fail.

We have sprayed pesticide (supposedly the same product that an exterminator would spray). FAIL (but time consuming!).

We have, well not we - one of us has tried to stomp them and kill them outside. Funny but failed.

I have cleaned the outside garbage cans. Fail.

Cleaned the various flower beds up around where they seem to enjoy. Very gross and left the neighbors with sore ears from my squealing but failed.

The weather has turned cooler and they have come inside. We have found them in the silverware drawer - which got cleaned really really really really well. Lydia has played chase the roach around the basement (she has no fear and I think she would if allowed catch these little guys with her bare hands!). We have found them on the walls in the kitchen. Walking across the floor. In the trash can. WALKING ACROSS MY FOOT - I am sure you heard that scream. In the bathroom. ON MY HEAD - once again lots of screaming. In one night, I found 6 for James to kill before going to bed - and I went to bed early that night!

And then in desperation, we found one more ridiculous idea. It was so ridiculous that James did this in the dark because he did not want the neighbors to see to the level we have stooped. Borax. The laundry soap. Yep, it is magical! In the dark, James sprinkled (supposed to only use a couple tablespoons but James decided if a little is good allot is powerful and sprinkled is used in the loosest of terms!) the exterior of the house with Borax. All the places that we have seen them outside got a little extra. The crawlspace got sprinkled. The deck looked like it had snowed. But the good news in a weeks time, we have seen THREE roaches inside the house. And many many many many roaches outside DEAD!

So still keeping the back porch clean. The food put away. The roach traps out. And I think a nice layer of Borax around the outside of the house is a great selling feature ;)