We just got back from playgroup at my friend Dani’s house. She lives way out in the country on a huge lot surrounded by trees. Her house is kind of like a really nice cottage, with a pool and a screened in porch at the back. It feels a lot like going to the cottage for the weekend, only it’s just a 20 minute drive away and we only ever stay for an hour or so.

Captain Jelly Belly was nervous about going in the pool this morning and I used that as a welcome excuse to stay on the screened porch the whole time — because there were deerflies everywhere. I got totally squicked out, and when a few of them got inside the porch area due to people coming and going I was downright paranoid about killing them all before they bit me or my babies. On the walk out to our car I got bit twice, and even though I loaded the kids and our bags as quickly as possible, four deerflies got trapped in the car with us. I took them out using the Captain’s juice cup, but the carcasses in our trunk gave me the major heebie jeebies.

This is why I totally will never own a cottage. I just am not an outdoor person. I can see where the Captain gets his fear of strange places from — I have a very narrow comfort zone and I don’t like to stray from it. Bugs? Eek eeek eek!