Creepy Crawly Lessons on Life

A few months ago, after tucking Ella into bed, I rounded the corner in the hall and started down the stairs only to have my foot slip out from under me.  I went flying, skidded a few stairs and caught myself on the railing, but let out a high-pitched, startled little yowl when it happened.  Jason came running, found me flat on my back and had me go sit down (I was fine).  But Ella had heard and was hollaring from her bed, "I WANT TO SEE IT!  I WANT TO SEE IT!  I WANT TO GET OUT OF BED AND SEE IT!"  

Jason went to her room and said, "Everything's okay honey."
"No!  I want to see it!" She continued to demand.
"See what?"  Jason asked.
"The spider mommy saw,"  She replied confidentnly.

If you know me, you know that I am...jump out of my skin, dance around like a crazy woman, screech at the top of my lungs...afraid of spiders.  (Mostly if they sneak up on me.)  I just always have been.  I have tried SOOOOO hard not to pass this on to Ella.  But I swear, if one of those buggers drops down from the celing next to me, or I catch one crawling across me, I screech like a little girl out of pure reflex.  So like it or not...Ella's caught on.  And when she hears me scream, she does not automatically wonder what's wrong or if I'm okay.  She just thinks..."must be a spider."  Grand.

Ella has totally picked up my fear of spiders and I DO NOT want her to be the kid who shreiks and runs and goes "eeeew" at every bug or insect.  So I've totally overcompensated by telling her "Bugs are neat.  Hey this is cool.  Come see.  Touch this one.  It won't hurt you."  And ya know what?  It's worked.  REALLY WELL.

Ella is ENTHRALLED with all things creepy crawly.  I never thought this petite little blond who, to my dismay, ADORES the color pink and all things girly would ever be this into creepy crawly things.  But she is.   If it's slimy, squirmy, jumpy, slithery, crawly fluttery or swimmy, she wants to discover it, see it, hold it, and touch it.  (except for spiders...that's my girl!)

I've always thought fish, frogs, snakes, worms etc were cool.  I wasn't really into them though.  I don't mind bugs, most don't scare me.  But I've never been one to seek them out and desire to pick them up with my hands and study them.  But now I have a kid who does. 

It is stretching me out of my comfort zone and opening my eyes to the world in a wonderous new way.  This morning my adament three year old had me out the door in my PJ's, before even a sip of coffee, trapsing through the dewy grass and digging through the dirt to find food for Queen (the wood frog).  Before I had even fully rubbed the sleep from my eyes I had helped capture 5 slugs, 4 worms, 3 grubs, and 5 tiny grasshoppers.  Never.  Thought.  I'd.  See.  This.  Day.  And I love it!  She is learning and growing so much...but OH what our children can TEACH US!  If open ourselves up and let them :)

So...what is the centerpiece on your dining room table?  This is ours.  Inside our centerpiece lives Queen the woodfrog.  (She started out as Princess but moved up the royal ladder in just a day).  In there is also Fuzzy the tent caterpillar and a multitude of creepy crawlies for Queen to munch on. (Which all have names too.  Until they get eaten and then we have to think up new ones.)