Bug Me, Please

Another tradition around our house this summer was bug hunting. I think I have made my feelings on this topic explicitly clear, but we have had many bug excursions in the backyard in the past few months. My boys are such bug enthusiasts that we even got them these shirts which tout their love of many-legged creatures (Peanut's says "Insect Inspector" and Pumpkin's says "I dig bugs").

The boys enjoy searching for little critters together.

Those poor bugs never have a chance when they meet this one. He has been known on several occasions to come running at me with one dangling from his just-slimed hand: "Wook, Mommy! A worm/swug/centipede!" In case you were wondering, slug goo requires many minutes of heavy-duty soap washing to be fully removed from the hand of a toddler.

Peanut is quite serious about his bug treasures.

Do any of you have these all over your trees like we do? My boys can't get enough of them. They are exoskeletons of a cicadas (but we call them locust shells). I guess I should be thankful that they aren't still creeping and crawling; seriously, I am itchy just writing about them. But what a talented Houdini-like feat for these insects to escape the "shell" and leave it all intact! Peanut has recently learned that you can hook one right back on a tree (where Mommy prefers) or to someone's shirt. My apologies in advance to the first innocent little girl whom he tries this trick on in the future.