Lynda Loveland: Braver than me

Spiders, bring it on.

Bugs, I don't bat an eye.

But snakes, I can't stinkin' stand!

My daughter, who has never met a living creature she didn't like, is BEGGING for a snake! She is a walking encyclopedia of animal facts and she wants to be an "animal scientist" when she grows up.

For her 11th birthday, we bought her a Fancy Eyelash Crested Gecko. She was thrilled. This past weekend, we took her to Repticon at the N.C. State Fairgrounds. It's basically a huge reptile and exotic animal exhibit. She could have stayed there all day. She had her hands on EVERYTHING. She really wanted this particular white snake, but the thought of it in my house made my skin crawl.

Let me just say that I love animals. Growing up on the farm, I had more pets than I could count, if you factor in the chickens, ducks and so on. I used to think snakes were OK until that one day. While running down a hill barefoot, I stepped on a snake. It wasn't like a partial step. It was full on contact right across the underbelly of my foot. You know, the part that's soft and sensitive to the touch. I can still feel it! I've never gotten over it, which I'm fine with.

So, as much as I want to encourage my daughters passion for animals and knowledge, we will be a serpent free house.

Lynda is the mom of three and co-anchor of the WRAL-TV morning news on Fox 50. Find her here on Thursdays and on Facebook.