Boys and their bugs

The barrier between outside and inside appro-priateness has been blurred for some time. "Outside voice" has never carried much weight around here and sticks always manage to sneak their way within the walls and into secret hiding places where they will be safe from the yard debris can. But this spring it appears as if the barrier has simply been broken down. Plummeted. Shattered. (or whatever else boys might do to a wall.)

Bugs.

Creepy Crawlies.

Inside...Really?!

Not that I have taken too harsh of a stance on the subject. Perhaps due to what four boys have done to my own barriers of decency. Nonetheless...it is getting out of hand this spring.

Like earlier...when they decided to try to find as many different kinds of bugs as they could (plus a mollusk or two). Nice game. Good science lesson. Lets see: beetle, spider, worm, pill bug, ant, another kind of spider, slug, snail, pincher bug. Centipede. Cool! In comes the prized jar with a butterfly net as a cover, placed on my kitchen counter, and off run the boys for a bathroom break. The next thing I know, the butterfly net is missing, the front door is open, and there are the afore mentioned bugs crawling on my counter.

"BOYS!!!" What are you doing?! Where is the cover???"

"We needed it to catch a butterfly."

Oh...of course.

They just had to hold the praying mantis babies which we ordered and hatched. With over a hundred of them, I'm pretty sure some escaped.

Or then there were the baby snails who were SO cute and abundant. (I think they caught eight). I have to admit...they were pretty cute. And they stuck out their little heads so far when the boys were holding them. However, the next time I looked at their box, there were only two.

Fast forward to last Saturday. We had a lovely time at the Lebanon Strawberry Parade. Lily, however cried most of the way home. As I quickly got her out of her seat, I noticed something hard and round under her dress. Yes...it was a snail. A large, slimy, disgusting snail...up her

dress! Now, indeed no one knew anything of any sort of snail in the house lately. Jake was sure it was from the time I left the door

open and insisted he saw a snail trail across her play mat. Who knows but seriously? I am sorry Lily. I wish I could say that there would be no more bugs down your dresses...but I simply can't guarantee that.

Today they found a woolly caterpillar in the park. He was carried in without my even turning a blind eye. We played with him on the carpet and watched as he tried to walk a tightrope course. I might try to crack down on bugs in the house. We'll see. I will try to keep them away from Lily and thank God each day for the touch of beauty she brings to the equation.

And Lily, just bear with them. You never know, your brothers may come in handy. One day an annoying, bothersome boy just may find a scorpion down his pants for messing with the wrong girl and her big brothers.