Ack - it moved!

Upon entering the living room, something dark green caught my eye on the floor. I thought it was a toy of some sort and knew I would need to put it away at some point in the day. I entertained Lane for a while with a fishing game.
Unexpectedly, the green thing moved! I let out a little shriek, mostly because it surprised me. Okay, I was scared for a moment. I realized it was a green tree frog! Until last week I didn't know they lived in Orlando.

It was so cute. I thought about keeping him as a pet but quickly realized I didn't need another living thing to take care of right now. I watched him climb our window and cling to it. What a neat creature!
It will be fun to look for these cute little frogs. Andrew and I think he found his way in our home when we brought the plants in from the deck and porch. Sorry for relocating you little guy - I put him in the little plant area in front of our house.

Palmetto Bugs

A few years ago, Gabriel was given a black plastic palmetto bug from an airport employee. I'm unsure why it was given to him but it became a running prank between Andrew and me. We hide it from each other in an effort to frighten the other one.
In case you uncertain what a palmetto bug is exactly. from Wiki: The Florida woods cockroach (Eurycotis floridana), or palmetto bug is a large species of cockroach, which usually grows to a length of 1½ inch to 2 inches. It is black in color, and has a wide, glossy body, and appears at first glance to be wingless, however it does have very short wings just beneath its head, which are useless for flying. The cockroach, when disturbed, often emits a strong, disagreeable odor, which leads to it being referred to as the "stinking coackroach".[1] The Florida woods roach looks remarkably similar to the female Oriental cockroach, and the two could be mistaken for each other by the casual observer.

The roach is slower moving than other species. It prefers damp locations, lots of moisture, and does well in warm, damp climates. It is found in its native habitats, such as Florida, and the West Indies. The roach can wander indoors at times, especially into damp locations, such as bathrooms, however, it is found mostly outdoors and is not considered a major pest in the home. It is cold intolerant and requires a warm, sub-tropical or tropical climate. It can often be seen in sheltered outdoor locations, such as under leaf litter, in tree holes, and under lumber and boards, and other crevices. It is often seen in bushes and wooded areas. Often it can be seen on Palmetto trees, which gave it one of its early popular names, the Palmetto bug.[1]

Yes, they are nasty and Florida has no control over them. They make us jump if we see them in person and this plastic version has the same reaction. The best location has been in our clothing. It always catches me off guard when I see it.
I was going to post a photo but couldn't find a decent gif. The photos of the real thing are so disgusting, I can't copy and paste one without cringing.