Bobby

Ryan, our six year old, has taken a liking to crickets. This is quite a switch from earlier this year when on our camping trip, he had a complete melt-down because of all the bugs. I'm pleased to see that, as he has stated to me, that he decided to not be afraid of them anymore.

The boys were playing outside yesterday and Ryan found his new friend which he named Bobby. He's a cricket whose home is now the pink Easter pail that use to hold candy for Grace's Easter basket. He made sure Bobby had some nice grass to rest in. He was so excited about his find that he brought it in the house to show me.

I was trying to act like that was really a cool thing but inside I was thinking, Mommy really doesn't like bugs. Then I realized that the only thing that was keeping Bobby inside this cute little pink pail was Ryan's elbow pad that was gently angled over top of him. Of course, when he moved the elbow pad to show me his find, the cricket happened to be attached to it and jumped out onto our floor. Ryan had fun chasing the cricket across the floor before finally catching it. I suggested maybe he keep it outside.

I assumed since I didn't see the pail in the house (believe me, I checked!) that it had indeed gone outside. On one of my many trips upstairs, I glanced in the boy's room and what do you think I saw sitting there on Ryan's bed? The cute little pink pail with the spiderman elbow pad in it. The name Ryan came loudly out of my mouth. As he came running up the stairs, I, calmly, informed him that Bobby REALLY needed to go outside and not be anywhere nears Mommy's room. I really, really don't want something that has four legs, antennae, hops and is in the insect category meeting me in the middle of the night. It's just one of those things on my no-no list.

Later that day, Ryan found Bobby a friend which was another cricket named Bobby, Jr. I happened to be gone that evening for 'pie' night with a friend but from what I hear, one of them escaped. After the kids had been in bed, Bobby or Bobby Jr. (hard to tell them apart), decided to hop out from under the couch. What a surprise that was! Brad chased after it and caught it making him my hero. There is no place better for a cricket then the great outdoors.

If I hear a cricket singing again and I can't find him....someone's going to the moon.