ack!

The kids and I are staying at my parents house in MD this week. Regan went to church with my parents this morning, but the rest of the kids and I stayed home because I think Micah has Strep Throat.
Anyway, the kids were playing downstairs in the basement and I was eating breakfast and checking email when Tallulah came up and told me she found a really lizard in the basement. She then produced a green rubber lizard, you know, the kind you get out of those little toy/candy machines at the grocery store.
A few minutes later Max calls up the stairs and says there is something long and skinny that looks like a snake and it is moving. I, of course, ignored him (he did not sound alarmed and I was certain he was playing along with Tallulah) and kept eating and emailing. Next think you know Micah is down the stairs saying "mom, you better come quick, its going away." Now they'd caught my attention. I walked over to the stairs and...
"Ack! That's I snake!"
(I took these with my zoom lens, careful not to get too close!) I totally freaked out, there was a snake in the basement- slithering around on the floor where just a few hours before my children were sleeping! I tried calling my parents, but they were already at church and did not answer their phone. I called Phil, who of course could not really help me since he is 200 miles away and finally after typing "There is a snake in my basement" into google decided to call animal control. They were here in less then 20 minutes and the guys just picked the snake up and carried it out the door! Turns out it was just a garter snake, harmless... but still a little freaky IN your house!