By Emily Williams

As the time gets closer to D-Day (delivery day), the stress of maintaining a cozy home is overwhelming.

My husband and father-in-law have been working their hearts out putting new wood floors down in the house. I just pray everything is in order when D-Day comes.

My mom and mother-in-law have been a blessing helping with chores, but there are a few guests in my home to whom I can’t offer my hospitality.

I remember when I was a kid I loved ladybugs. They meant good luck! So I thought.

They have taken over my home. At first it was fine because my husband said ladybugs are a sign of “cold weather soon.”

But, now it’s cold and they are still in my home, and my nesting instinct has left me furious when I look at them. I find them in my hair, on our new furniture and I found one on my face! If you smoosh them they smell horrible and if you flick them they make a thumping sound when they land.

As I laid my four-year-old stepdaughter, Madison, down to sleep the other night she said, “Emmy, ladybugs are mean and they bite.”

The thought of a child resenting ladybugs disturbed me so I reassured her, “Ladybugs aren’t mean, and they are just overwhelming right now.”

I finally found comfort on our new couch and then it happened. Something bit me! It was a stinking ladybug! The next night during our usual ladybug conversation I told my husband about the ladybug bite.

“I told you they bite!” Madison shouted.

The next day I brought my ladybug problem to work with me. I know, don’t bring problems to work, but I needed comfort in knowing that someone else had the same problems.

“We had ladybugs, but I don’t remember them biting,” editor Rita Jean said.

“Ladybugs don’t bite!” another said.

Maybe our ladybugs are evil.

A recent article my mom e-mailed to me, entitled, “Getting Rid of Ladybugs,” states: “Although they do not destroy anything in the home or pose economic problems, get enough of them and they will be buzzing around your lamps, landing on you, and beginning to bite; food is scarce for these bugs during the winter months, so they are known to randomly bite things in an effort to find sustenance.”

That is gross!

“If you prefer immediate and lethal results for the bugs flying about, you can play Obi Wan Kenobi, using a hand-held zapper instead of a light sabre. You just hold this thing in a bug’s path and when contact is made, the bug gets a lethal dose of electricity,” the article states.

I don’t want to get rid of them in such a harsh way, because they are neat little bugs. I just want them gone. My baby is not going to be surrounded by ladybugs!

As we prepare for the Christmas season, my husband put our little fake Charlie Brown Christmas tree in its place.

“That tree is sad. We need a real tree. I’ll just go cut one,” he said.

 “No!” I said. “That’s all we need — a squirrel in our house to go with the rest of our pets!”

(Email Williams at newsroom@panolian.com)