Yes, my children really *do* go out dressed up like lions and crocodiles. This current obsession is 'soldiers' and 'fighter pilots'. They are under direct orders from the Ministry of Silly Walks. Today's order is to visit the museum on a reconnaissance mission.
No, Madam, I am not training them for the Taliban.
Not many days go by in summer without some kind of bug investigation - one year I remember the midget had a thing for dead worms - I don't know if he was measuring them or trying to wake them up, but he played with them a lot (NB. they were dead before he started playing with them - honest!)
Woodlouse colonies are a firm fave here - especially when they find the bright white babies. Endless oohing and ahhing.
This year we have gone one step further by entrapping the bugs with a cunning trap, involving a pit, a slippery container, some smelly cheese and a plastic roof.
Some days we just luck out and find things right in front of us - like Chris here - or Chrys if you prefer ("he will turn into a chrysalis, Mummy") - pretty sure he's a moth caterpillar. We played with him for a while - the midget even kissed him (he hit him in the face by accident resulting in Chris curling up. Before I knew it Midget had said "oooh sorry!!" and a big smackeroony had been planted before I could even dry heave) - then we put him in the hatching chamber to continue our investigations further.
There are advantages to having fearless bug hunters in the house - they catch spiders for their Mama and don't mind carrying the wriggly critters to the top of the garden before releasing them. They have no fear of ugly, many-legged monstrosities which have most of us squealing like a girl from on top of a stool (ahem).
The downside of this fearlessness? well I am at a distinct disadvantage if, say, they want to run after me with a big, black spider in their hands? The fact that my house is home to ugly bugs most of the summer? The fact that I have to pretend to find moths interesting instead of hideous??
These little people teach me so much, and stretch me in ways I would never have dreamed about. And even though they kiss bugs, I am so terribly proud of their fearlessness. Masha'allah.
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