Christmas Morning Mauling.....

It's Christmas morning, and I'm the first one up.  I have decided to take one last, long look at our tree, with the presents beautifully wrapped and placed just-so underneath.  Something catches my eye near one of the gifts.  A slight movement.  I get closer, letting my eyes adjust to the light.  Again I see it, but this time I know what it is....a lizard.  Now, lizards in Florida are like mosquitoes in Minnesota or rattlesnakes in Texas.  It's just part of living here.  ANd they aren't huge, iguana type lizards, but cute green things like the Geiko gecko.  Still, I need to remove him before the kids wake up.  I take a step closer, and he wriggles up the doorway trim.  He stops, eye level with me.  He is strangely cute sitting there, basking in the glow of the holiday lights.  Almost like an ornament.  I step forward for a second, just to see him close up.  It is at this moment that, I swear to you, he SMILES at me, and leaps.  I can't tell you what it's like to feel little lizard feet on your scalp on Christmas morning.  I am frantically trying to brush him out of my hair, spinning around and nearly missing crushing all of the gifts that I had so carefully placed around the tree. I can only imagine the image of the lizard and I, in our silent dance of horror.  Somehow, I must have brushed him off in one of my frenzied grasps, and he landed on the tile floor of the foyer.  After letting my pulse settle down for a moment, I went to the lizard, lying still on the floor.  At that moment, I knew only one of us had come out of our tousle alive. I gingerly picked him up by the tail, and opened the front door.  I threw him toward the yard.  As he flew through the air, I gave him a little salute.  I mean, he did put up a good fight.  Well, I hear the pitter patter of little feet, which means my kids are up, and will soon want to open gifts.  To all of my friends out there in journal land, have a wonderful, merry and lizard-free Christmas!