Grasshoppers & Spiders

Madison is currently working on science project. She has to collect bugs, put them in a jar and add a moth ball to kill them. After this, she posts them on a board and labels them. She is currently studying insect and spiders and there different part and how they work.

As we were sitting down at dinner a few nights ago, we were talking about the different kinds of bugs we could try and find for her project. The winter is just starting to hit here, so the temperatures have dropped, rains have set in and bugs have gone into hiding. I have no bugs around my house except for the occasional gnat and these monstrous spiders that come out in the late summer and fall.

"Well Abbey found some grasshoppers and used them on her project." Maddie says.

"But there aren't any grasshoppers out right now, honey." I say.

"They are in the grass field at school, mom. They are on top of each other."

"OH?! Well Maddie, what are they doing on top of each other?" I ask.

"Well they are just hitching a ride." Maddie informs me.

Whew . . . I avoided that one by a hair. I love the innocence of my sweet daughter.

Another quick little story. I was sorting through my laundry yesterday and picked up a pair of Gracie's pants. I saw something fall off the pants but didn't think much of it. I started to put my hand back into the basket to grab another pair of clothes and shrieked. There was a huge ugly spider sitting right on top of the pants I was about to grab. I yelled for Maddie to grab one of her jars and together we worked to not touch the spider and get him in the jar. Of course we added a moth ball to kill him and were mighty proud of ourselves for snagging a disgusting little thing for her project. Of course, if I were the spider, I think I would prefer the quick shoe stomp rather than this slow way of dying.

**The top picture of Maddie is not with this spider, but a frog her daddy found for her a few days ago. Maddie hearts frogs.***