How To Keep The Kids Out Of The Pantry

As I was cleaning the dining nook the other day, I glanced into the open pantry to have my eye caught by the sight of a giant, hairy body, eight creepy legs, and enough of the heebie jeebies to make me feel like I was going to lose my cookies.  I had to be seeing things because this thing didn't move when I looked closer.  It must have been dying or sleeping, but I was feeling light headed, so I enlisted the husband for the task of, "Operation Spider".  This was a new task for him, since I am usually the one who takes care of the task with my cat like reflexes, but, with my urging, he got up and took care of it.  He couldn't believe the size of it.  I had to assure him that it was a spider.  It was so big, he thought it was some kind of joke.  Since it didn't move when he was there also, he thought it was fake.  I told him to smash it.  He did, and then realized it was real and was grossed out.  He left it in the pantry to go finish his video game.  At least he stopped in the middle of it to take care of the live issue.  I decided while the spider is still in there, I might be able to use the situation to help keep the kids out of the pantry, they love Kix.  They are always asking for cereal from the pantry.  They open the doors and climb on the chair to try and get it.  It's ridiculous.  We have seriously had to put a lock on the top of the pantry.  But sometimes you forget to lock it, and they try to get in there.  I figure, I can mention that I may have seen a spider in there.  If they see one in there for themselves, they may listen to me and stay out.  Why not let them see what happened in the pantry?  Who was in there?   I told them as they walked over to see, that it was big, and they may be scared.  They rushed to peer around the corner.  That is when they exclaimed, "daddy long legs"!  Yikes! The kids had told us they saw a daddy long leg the other day in the playroom.  That was the same spider they were talking about! That is what they saw in the playroom!  I would have screamed my head off if that was in my playroom when I was a kid.  Need to call bug guy ASAP.  Anyway, the kids were still freaked out by the spider, and now I can keep them out of the pantry, maybe.  Who am I kidding?