I was chatting on the phone with my daughter Megan one day last week when out of the blue she exclaims, "Whoa! There's a tarantula in the fridge!"

What?

"Yeah, I just opened the fridge and forgot I had put it there!"

Again... What?!

Megan proceeded to tell me that as she and Declan left the elementary school that morning, after dropping off Brayden and Camden, they ran into a family friend who showed them a dead tarantula she'd found at her house—dead or alive, where or how, I forgot to ask. She asked Declan if he wanted to touch it, and he said yes. Declan asked the friend if he could have it, and she said yes.

So Megan and Declan and the dead tarantula headed on home.

Where Megan stored the spider in the refrigerator for safekeeping. Then forgot it was there. Which was where I came in and witnessed—from afar—Megan's momentary fright upon opening the fridge.

But the story didn't end there. Megan told me she and Declan planned to prank the big boys with the spider, somehow, when they got home from school.

As they devised the dastardly deed, Megan schooled Declan in the art of proper scheming—which, of course, includes boisterous bwaahaahaa-ing.

As Declan practiced his conniving cackle, Megan arranged the tarantula in the lemons on the kitchen table where the boys have their afternoon snack, sharing the setup with me via text.

Get a video of it, I suggested, so I can see what they do.

Soon after, I received said video, and felt a little bwaahaahaa of my own brewing as I shared it with Jim.

And soon after that, I received confirmation from Megan that yes, Brayden immediately knew the tarantula was dead (though Camden apparently didn't... that or he has a future in acting).

Because their dastardly deed had been foiled... by Declan himself.

Ah, lesson learned. When it comes to being masterfully dastardly, dear Deckie still has some training to do. Silly, silly boy!

Though not quite as silly as his silly mama, I think, who stores spiders in the fridge for scaring others then startles herself by forgetting she put them there.