Arachnophobia

I've always been cursed (or blessed?) with highly attuned spider senses.  I frequently wake up from a deep sleep, eyes popped open directly on a spider climbing up the wall or ceiling.  Most times I can go back to sleep if I deem the spider small enough or far enough away to be no real threat.  Other times I holler for Leo, and ok once Noah, to come save me from the wretched little beastie.  But a few rare times I have had to be my own knight in shining armor and handle the situation alone.  Last night AND tonight were such nights.

Rewind to last night.  I woke up to see a black blob on the ceiling directly above my head.  I watched it for a while wondering if it was a fly (because last time I yelled for help it was a winged thing, not an eight-legged thing).  After enough time trying to see in the dark, I determined it was in fact an arachnid.  By this time it made it's way towards the door frame and away from the Code Red zone.  It didn't move for roughly 15 minutes so I drifted back to sleep.  INTERNAL ALARM!  I woke up again, but the spider was directly above my head again....heading down the wall behind my headboard.  Eeeek.  Fearing what could come next I spring into action, grab a magazine and take a swipe at the spider in an attempt to get in on the floor so I can throughly squish it.  No such luck.  The swipe is in vain and I watch the spider fall behind the headboard to the floor moments later.  Dang.  I don't see it and decide it found refuge in the dust bunnies, stray toys and whatever else lurks under my bed.  Spider - 1, Jen - 0.

Fast forward to tonight.  Leo tells the boys if they are good they can sleep with mommy in the big bed.  The three of us tuck in to watch a cartoon and are wrestling with the sheets.  For some reason unbeknownst to me I move to the side and look down to see last nights spider crawling up the mattress between me and Julian!  I fly out of bed - you'd be surprised how spry I can be when threatened within an inch of life by a bug, and start shoving Julian to the side because the unwanted bedfellow seems dead set on crawling on him and is moving towards him fast.  At the same time I am again swatting at the creepy crawler with a pillow of all things (yes I know, swatting didn't work out for me last night yet it's the only move I've got when it comes to spiders).  Noah is laughing the entire time.  Glad to see he didn't inherit my fear of these creepers. I somehow manage to grab a cd in a paper case and fling it off the bed.  It's big enough to make an audible impact when it hits the ground so at least I know where it is.  I throw the magazine from last night on top of it and commence stomping on the magazine like I'm trying to break through the floor boards.  Spider - dead, Jen - 1.

Here are my questions:
1. Where did I get this freaky talent of knowing where spiders are at all times?
2. Why are the spiders always in my room?
3. Did I miss my calling as the spider whisperer?

Until next time my horrific little monsters...I'll be watching for you.