Has anyone seen my pet jumping spider?

So here we are 15 minutes away from starting Rachel's birthday party. She just turned 10 you know, and is already counting down the days until she gets a cellphone. She thinks she should get one when she is 12. I said no. So she threatened to call Grandma Kilstrom and ask when I got my first cellphone. She abandoned that plan when I told her it was just 3 years ago we got our first cell-phone. Sorry I digress, back to the spider.

So Trent is trying to find where he last left the world's best toy:

Say 'hello' to the Backyard Safari Turbo Bug Vacuum. Also available in the Extreme Bug Vac version at most online retailers, buy.com or amazon.com. This thing will quickly become your friend and enemy. A true love/hate relationship. I love it because it suddenly makes most kids brave enough to catch bugs, especially indoor spiders. I hate it because sometimes they forget to close the magnifier lid and said bug then escapes out generally while holding and peering into the vacuum. After which a girl-ish squeal is heard followed by a flying vacuum. It's pretty durable I can attest.

So Trent my true entomologist at heart adores this thing. He found a fairly large jumping spider out on the backyard fence. Another downside...said bug which was safely distanced outside behind closed doors and windows is now brought inside to show all observers. A little ground rule was established which prevents excitement. All magnifier lids will be in their proper closed and locked (dohh, this thing doesn't have a lock...big oversight) position before it is allowed in the house.

He detaches the observation capsule and leaves the spider on the counter to 'hang out' as he was hanging by a web he spun inside the capsule. Sorry, bad pun. We begin Rachel's party and are having a great time. Half an hour goes by and Trent remembers he hasn't shown one of Rachel's guests the spider. He goes back to the counter and the capsule is gone.

Great, now begins the hunt for the capsule and possible new guest in the house. Having no luck downstairs or on the main level, I begin up the stairs and promptly hear a 'flush' of a toilet. Out comes a triumphant looking 4 year old named Travis holding the capsule and twisting open the lid. Naturally I freak out as he is going to let the large jumping spider out of it's temporary cage and then I remember the flush. Travis looks up at me and beams, "Hey dad, I did it!" My hero!!

So how do I tell a young budding entomologist that he has a hero for a younger brother? I quietly put the capsule down in the living room and let Trent find it on his own. He goes for a hunt around the house for the spider with a few guests. Then he comes to the conclusion himself that Travis must have flushed it down the toilet.

Travis 1, spider 0....