When A Snake Is Loose In Your Car....

I would love to say this happened to me.

Wait, I take that back, I am SO glad I would not ever want to have this happen to me but I SO can see it happen to me.

This is my friend Jenn I am about to introduce you to.  She is a hoot.  She teaches music and I love her posts...even the ones I don't comment on but she is great.

We go to the same church and I have had her daughter in my Wednesday night class for two years.  I KNOW these people.

So I when I seen her husband post this on facebook this afternoon....

Jenn calls me just now and informs me there is a snake loose in her car, as she heads down the highway :)

...... I begged her to let me tell the story on my blog.

You know, in case this ever happens to me you, you'll know what to do.

Here is what she posted on facebook....

When your son has brought the snake home from his class habitat in a plastic container, the words you NEVER want to hear are "Where's the snake?!" closely followed by the words "Mom! Pull the car over NOW!"




Then - after everyone had officially freaked out for her - she told the whole story.....

It can only been told in her own words.......

So here's the story:


 The 4th gr. habitat unit is now finished and the teachers were going to let all of the critters go outside after school or this weekend. Josiah had gotten a snake at my parents' house and it ended up being the biggest one that was brought in for any of the habitats. Needless to say, he had gotten attached to this snake and just HAD to bring the thing home to let it go in our yard. 


Being the understanding mom that I am (HA!) I gave in and his teacher (bless her soul) fished the snake out and we put it in a large plastic container w/ a lid w/ holes. 


The same container the snake was transported to the school in a week ago. 


The only difference...we didn't tape the lid down this time...it didn't even cross my mind. 


So we're driving down the highway when I hear the words I posted above. 


When your son has brought the snake home from his class habitat in a plastic container, the words you NEVER want to hear are "Where's the snake?!" closely followed by the words "Mom! Pull the car over NOW!"


I said "WHAT DO YOU MEAN?! You weren't holding on to the container?! How did that happen? CAN YOU SEE IT?!" 


All the while I'm trying to maintain my composure so Jocelyn (who's five) doesn't freak out (because she was already starting to) while keeping the car on the road in rush hour while looking around my feet for a snake that I'm sure is about to slither up my pant leg at any minute. 


I pulled over on the side of the highway, we looked all around for a minute and then Josiah said "it's under your seat!" So I decided that it was probably scared and would stay there coiled up...so I'd be brave and keep driving to get us off the highway to a safer location. 


I called Jamie (her husband) - who was amused - and then I drove another 5 minutes (silently freaking out and thinking I was feeling something on my leg every few seconds) until I got to the Wayland exit. I pulled into the McDonald's and drove to the back of the parking lot where I parked the car and told the kids to stay where they were while I looked for the snake...


...which didn't work because they were both outta the car like lightening. 


I told them to shut their doors so that the snake wouldn't get out (I was still trying to let Josiah get the snake home safely so he could release it....sooooo stupid!). I looked all around on the driver side and couldn't see it while Josiah went over to the passenger side to help Jocelyn get out safely and shut her door. Josiah yelled "MOM! It's over here under the front seat! Bring me the container...I've got a straight shot!" 


So I grabbed the container and lid and ran over to the other side - and the snake was moving up the side of the car into the front passenger side floor. I quick grabbed ahold of the tail and whipped it onto the parking lot asphalt. Then I grabbed it by the tail again and put it into the container. 


The kids cheered - the man and woman in the SUV next to me were staring with their mouths on the ground - and I felt like Hercules....until I got the kids back in the car, got back on the highway, and started thinking about it. 


And then I almost threw up.


Oh - and the snake made it home where he was happily released in our front yard. And what Josiah won't ever know is that if I ever see that snake again it will be DEAD.