The Entomologist

Warning: The following post contains images that may be considered gruesome. Continue at your own risk.

Early in the summer, Buttermilk Sky came up to me and asked, "Do we have any pins?" I said, "I don't know. (I knew we did.) Why?" He said, "I want to start a bug collection and I need pins to pin them to a board." I said, "No, I don't think we do. Sorry."

He wasn't to be deterred. A day or so later he came up to me and asked, "Mom, do we have any foam pieces?" I said, "Any what?" He explained and I realized he meant a sheet of foam core which he wanted to pin the bugs to. I said, "No, I don't think we do." (I knew we did.)

A day or so later he got smart and asked his dad for these things. Brandon said, "If we don't, we can get them for you." So after Buttermilk and Brandon did some research online to figure out how to kill the bugs and create a bug collection, I reluctantly procurred the requested items and Buttermilk got to work.

He caught quite a few bugs--I mean arthropods--

in this little jar which contained a cotton ball saturated with rubbing alcohol to kill the critters.

Buttermilk Sky even created this ingenious bee protection suit so that he could go after the bees.

They were pretty hard to catch.

Check out his skewered corpses!

In spite of my initial uncooperative attitude towards this project, I must admit that I am proud of Buttermilk Sky's determination and resourcefullness in creating his bug collection even in the face of his mother's efforts at sabatoge.

I think it will make a pretty good show-and-tell this year.

Another New Cousin

Today the boys met their new cousin, Kate, courtesy of Heidi and Spencer. We're so happy to see them again because it's been a while.

Kate's brother, Ty, loves to help his little sis.

Awwww, how precious! (I know that's what you're thinking, too.)

Isn't she beautiful?

We went to her blessing in church today and afterward we went to the Silly Grandma's house for a big lunch. Aside from eating their fill of goodies (Eggs was heard to ask Grandma, "If I see something can I eat it?" to which Grandma replied the affirmative.) here is what all the other cousins did while we were there: half watched a movie on Grandma's bed,

and the other half watched cousin Grant play Pacman. What could be more fun?

The Fox and the Campground

Here we are at the campground. Camping. (Whiting campground up Mapleton Canyon on Friday night.)

With the Silly Grandma, and lots of aunts, uncles, and cousins.

And one chubby baby cousin.

And two little girl cousins who are the antithesis of the chubby baby cousin.

And hot cocoa guzzling cousins.

And pyromaniac cousins.

After the sun set, the magic fire powder was thrown into the fire while thrilling stories were told.





This is the fox.

None of us had ever seen a live fox before and he came amazingly close. He seemed right at home in the campground, wandering through more than once. I think he would have liked to guzzle hot cocoa, too.

Eggs on Toast's Firsts

This happened on Saturday. (Notice how he's checking it out with his tongue.) The tooth fairy didn't make it until Sunday night--we figure Saturday must have been a high volume tooth night. After discovering the moolah under his pillow, Eggs was heard to say, "So the tooth fairy IS real!"

Monday was Egg's first day of Kindergarden. The older boys began school a couple of weeks ago. This was a long-awaited day for Eggs. His best friend (who is less than two months older than him) began school last year, and Eggs has been very excited for his turn.

Uh oh, a little bit of apprehension has hit. (I wish this picture was in focus!) You can see him begin to fumble for the security of his pockets.

Can you feel the butterflies?

When I picked him up he kept saying what a great day he'd had (after the tears had been wiped away which were due to me being a few minutes late to pick him up--oops--Mom of the Year, that's me!)

Eggs on Toast loves Kindergarden!