Spider!

Yesterday I had just gotten out of the shower and was starting to get dressed when Maddie started calling me from the front entrance hall. Our conversation went like this:

Maddie: MOM!
Me: What?
Maddie: There's a spider in the hall.
Me: What does it look like?
Maddie: Big and black.
Me: OK, I'll take care of it as soon as I am dressed.

. . . . a minute or so later

Maddie: Nevermind.
Me: What?
Maddie: Nevermind, the spider is in the closet now.
Me: OK, I get it when I am done in here. (and at this point I promptly forget about the spider)

An hour later we are ready to leave and I go to the hall coat closet to get the little girls' coats. I open the door and . . . . AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!

After I got my heart out of my throat and beating at its normal rate again I actually looked again at the "spider". At this point I could hear little giggles from the top of the stairs. Oh Miss Maddie got me good!

Does this look like the face of an expert practical joker?

Reminder to self -- keep Maddie away from plastic Halloween spiders!!