Cheerios Parade

No, it's not some cool activity to do with your kids (though feel free to figure out how to create a Cheerios parade with them and share with us!), it's the arrival of summertime ants.

The other day, while I was showering and combing my hair (I've actually pretty much given up on make-up and blow-drying these days, though I plan to resume those activities this week when I take the Bar), Marcie was snacking away on her dry Cheerios in the bathroom. Somehow she lost her balance, and the Cheerios spilled all over the floor. Next to the laundry basket filled with clothes to wash. She pulled herself up, but apparently as she did so, she crushed some of the Cheerios. The rest, she and I cleaned up together.

I didn't think to look for hidden Cheerio dust. Or crumbs. Though I knew we'd been seeing occasional ants in the bathroom seeking water. And off I went to school.

When I got home around 10:30pm that night, there was a trail of ants on a Cheerios parade. They entered through our bathroom window-- which is over five feet off the ground. They paraded down the wall, across our clothes, and then scattered on the floor. Despite feeling pretty grossed out by the view of ants in my pants (literally), I was intrigued by the series of ants on the wall passing pieces of Cheerios bigger than they were up the wall. It was pretty amazing. I complain about carrying almost-40-pound Casey on my shoulders during walks up hills (I feel like he bares down on my chest and it's hard to breathe), and these ants were carrying crumbs twice their size!

Anyway, I couldn't go to bed knowing there were ants all over my clothes, and the floor, and the wall, and the window. So, of course I had to clean it up, shake out my pants and shirts, vacuum the Cheerio crumbs and dust, suck the ants off the wall, and Windex the window (to kill the ants). It took me about 30-45 minutes. But the ants have stayed away since.