Scared...

the living daylights right out of me......

So, last night was the annual Trunk or Treat out in the church parking lot. We had a great time chatting with friends, eating too much candy, seeing all the kids in their awesome Halloween costumes and then it was time to go home. We got home just as it started sprinkling little rain drops (Thank you rain for holding off for the Trunk or Treat). We ushered the kids upstairs to get ready for bed, then we spent a few minutes playing with the boys until Mom (that's me) got a shiner, yep a little black eye thanks to my sweet little Ethan. My eye met his head while we were bouncing on my bed and then that pretty much ended playtime for me so off to bed they went. After I hugged and kissed and tucked them in, I retired to my room and flopped down on my bed to rest, but oh no, that was not to be, because my kitchen was a disaster and I just couldn't face waking up to that nightmare bright and early in the morning (that thought is scary in and of itself). So, while Brett is finishing up with the tucking kids in bed ritual, I drag myself up off my cozy bed and head down to tackle the mess. First things first, I bag up the over-flowing garbage and tie it up all nice and neat and then I head out into the dark, drizzly night to throw it into the garbage can. I take about 5 steps and out of the dark shadows of my back yard, I see some large animal walking towards me.....I think what is that a cat?! (Yeah, like a cat on all 4 legs comes up to my hips, a tiger maybe) Then it dawns on me that is a BIG, BLACK DOG and I don't own a BIG, BLACK DOG! At that point I screamed a loud, blood curdling scream (like in the movies) and then I turn around with garbage bag in hand and do exactly what you're not supposed to do when you encounter a large animal that can run way faster than you, I run like a crazy lunatic back to the house screaming Brett's name and carrying the garbage bag with me (You'd have thought that I could've dropped the bag, or even thrown it at the BIG, BLACK DOG to distract him), but you'll be happy to know that me and my garbage bag made it back into the house in just the nick of time (must be all my training for my upcoming 5k..but most likely it was pure adrenaline). I slammed that door in the dogs face and screamed for Brett to come and save me. At this point my heart is racing, my body is shaking and my mind is trying to process what the heck just happened and I slowly start to realize that the BIG, BLACK DOG belongs to my neighbors. This BIG, BLACK DOG is always escaping his yard by digging holes under the fence, then chewing his way out and that is how he must have gotten into MY yard. Now the crazy mutt is scratching at our new back door and trying to get into our house, so Brett goes out to return him to his home and I leave the garbage bag by the back door where it will remain until morning and head upstairs to calm down my crying child who is now too scared to go to sleep because he heard my crazy yelling fit from downstairs . (Yep, I scared him...AGAIN!) After all was said and done, I was too traumatized to clean the kitchen, so I plopped down on the couch and watched T.V. until bed time. And you know what, the kitchen waited for me! Just one more thing...what is it with me and animals?!!!