prAying mantis should be spelled with an "e"

Monday afternoon was gorgeous and cool so the kids and I played outside until the mosquitoes came out and started eating us for dinner. We reluctantly picked up toys and went inside. My phone and iced tea were still outside, as well as Little Missy's beloved stroller, so I ran to get them when I caught something out of the corner of my eye. I looked at the handle of the baby stroller and saw a praying mantis chasing me. CHASING ME. It was following me.

No, I am not paranoid.

I was so taken aback that I stood at my front door and watched it. And it watched me. This strange little bug cocked it's triangle-shaped head and sized me up as I stood quietly, not able to believe that A BUG WAS FRONTIN. As we stood there, two females watching each other, it stood up straighter and flexed its forelegs. What, pray tell, did this wisp of a bug think it was going to do to me? I WILL SQUASH YOU, CRAZY CANNIBALISTIC BUG. Sheesh. So I did the only appropriate thing I blogger could do: I ran inside and grabbed my camera.

Apparently by the time I grabbed my camera I bored her Majesty the Mantis and she paid me no attention. I wish I could have snapped the picture when she was staring me down. The girl was crazy.

When Hubby got home I told him the whole crazy experience, much as I am telling you my friends, all excited and not really believing that a bug had contemplated attacking me. He already knew that praying mantises are all-too-ready to attack. Yes, the females are whack and eat their baby daddies, but I had no idea they would come after us human folk. I mean, a brown recluse spider will play dead and try to fade into my shower curtain when I find it in the morning, but a praying mantis will chase me when I walk by.

From Wikipedia: Most mantises are ambush predators, waiting for prey to stray too near. The mantis then lashes out at remarkable speed. Some ground and bark species, however, pursue their prey rather quickly.

And apparently they live around my house.