Hmm…even school one day a week can be avoided w/out much effort!
Here, I didn’t think I would need that category, “Wasting Study Time Posts”, and yet, here it is! I have one class. At night. With one paper to write every week. And here I am again, waiting until today. Actually right now. Well, after I post this. And make a meatloaf. And put away dishes and do some laundry. It’s not even a paper. It’s two paragraphs. Of my opinion on an article that I read. (I did read it—bonus!) and I really need to be done so I can get to my serious work for an ACLS class I am taking. I really want to pass that one. I really need to read the material. Really really really…But, since we’re all here….
This is a grasshopper that jumped onto the car as we left the 7-11 Sunday afternoon. We were on the road, waiting to turn at a stoplight, when I took this with my phone camera. YES. The HTC ThunderBolt phone camera. From inside the car, through the window, inches away:
Then he kindly gave me his better side to photograph:
Once we started driving, he braced himself, picked his moment, and leapt off the car to destinations unknown. We hoped that he didn’t get run over by another car.
Happy Tuesday!
As promised: Higher level thinking! Stink Bugs!
And it’s a crappy pic to boot. But I was so surprised and shocked that I had to hurry and take it with the phone. I have never in my whole life seen one in person. Weird right? And there it was just sitting on the garbage can. I only know what it is because the kids are always talking about them and their shield shape. And there it is! And you thought this was going to be just another lame ass Friday. As I was trying to take its photograph it started walking away from me so I got one more pic and it picked up and flew away. And I haven’t seen another one since?
Here’s another question: Where do stink bugs live? Like, in trees? The ground? They must be hanging out somewhere when we don’t see them. Any bug people out there want to help me out?
I guess I could look it up on the internet seeing as I seem to have all this free time. Should have researched that first huh? Anyway, here’s the other Stink Bug picture:
The real birthday celebration was a little different…
And a little more savage. Ewww…sorry. Hooter’s. That was last Saturday. With the family. There was carnivorous behavior occurring. They were good though, even though it looks disgusting in this picture. Check out that clarity! Guess who took it? Picture(s) below:
It's just not a camera file without a picture of Mason. Or his new hat that he loves. From the truck race in Joliet last Friday.
Giant, creepy spider waiting on the wall to grab our leftovers. Yes, there were leftovers. Hard to believe, I know.
Sunday Bug
I have two more left. This was technically the last bug on the tour, but I am putting it second-to-last because I want to go out with a bigger bang! Bumblebee Big! You’ll have to look tomorrow!
Anyway, I still have to go to my sissy’s and it doesn’t look like I am getting outdoors to do any actual exercise today, so I’ll quickly post these things that are outside, in nature, and that will kind of have to be good enough.
You will also have to excuse the extra people in the pictures. For some reason, everyone globbed up right at the end, talking to their friends, pulling snacks out of strollers, on the phone, kids laying all over the grass… and wouldn’t get out of picture range for all the rest of us. But you can still see the bug.
Come on people! Get out of the way!! Go talk on your cell phone out of picture range!
And back to the Bugs!
We are almost to the end. I think this is third to last. I just found out the Arboretum where they had this display is having a 5K race in the fall through all their paths, or some of their paths; the place is huge. So, more to look forward to. Pictures of trees. IN AUTUMN! Yowzer! Stick around! Even with a (hopefully) not-too-crazy school schedule, I want to keep running and keep writing. It’s a good stress buster. Corny.
Now look at these big bugs!
You see that expanse of space behind the sculpture? Big land. Tired kids. But all four are in there.
Hey guys! There's a giant bug sitting in the weeds right in front of you! We could look in the mud at home. For free. 3 out of 4 captivated by dirty water. I had to put it in though, because it's just too cute.
Ah yes, you have learned well grasshopper…
Or something like that. If you don’t “get” the above headline, then it doesn’t matter if I got it wrong. Please just forget it and look at the pictures!
More bugs! It’s a grasshopper!
I know! That was alot of grasshoppers! Last shot. WITH the kids. Looking at this picture now, I notice they all seem so suspicious...and tired of sitting next to big bugs made of shiny sticks. That they can't even touch! They are so over it. But we still have, like, three more! At this point they were probably walking half a mile or more already. It's a BIG place!
Here's an extra shot that kind of shows "vastness". No bugs. Just land. (And water)
CrazyBugs!
It all came together in the middle for a brief moment, captured forever in photographic evidence. Four kids and a Ladybug. And we were only half way done!
Crazy for the Lady's...
Zee Bug of zee Day…”ant’s” ya’ glad ya’ tuned in! (heeheehee)
If you’ve been following along…this is the “ANT” post. Grab a can of Raid and look at these:
I'm not sure how many the artist made of these giant ants, but there were three in the Arboretum and a whole bunch more on the grounds outside, when you passed it on the highway.
Large and in charge!
Creepy!
Still unable to get all 4 kids, BUT, got a picture with Ethen, who still doesn't like to be photographed, AND he's smiling!
And since we are doing spiders…
Today’s Big Bug is a BIG spider! If it looks impressive to you in these photos, it was even better close up! Creepy-crawly!
But stay tuned here in the next few days because the artist did ants too. Giant, sprawling-across-the-grass, ants. Ants are my biggest bug problem. Spiders are pretty scary too, check out this dedication post to a brave but crazy spider that was living in our house, but ants are the ones that get me rolling.
Not to go off subject, but we live on a slab foundation, and as anyone who may live on one knows, ants love to live in the cracks underneath the house. Except in winter or rainy times when they like to migrate indoors, say onto your living room floor or bedroom or closet or tables or kitchen or anywhere they can crawl their teeny-tiny bodies around too. These are a particular kind of ant, slab ants. They’re small, really small, but they can get everywhere fast and before-you-know-it. You can just be sitting on a chair when you suddenly notice a small movement on the floor or near a wall, and you go to take a close look…OMG! Seriously, there could be like a hundred, in a trail with that one crumb of food the vacuum didn’t get. It sucks, and it sucks worse when you have small children who like to crawl around on the floor but now you don’t even want them to walk on it because an ant might crawl on them. Yuk yuk yuk! Thankfully there are awesome exterminators who will come and eliminate the problem for you! We found a great one and the ants only make a minor appearance, maybe, once every few years now. It’s lovely. Plus it makes you vacuum a whole lot more, and who doesn’t like to be forced to keep their house clean so vermin doesn’t set up camp?? Not me!
Anyway…here’s the spider:
Is there something crawling on me??
This is one year ago. Stevie and Elexa. Looking young.
Mason and Stevie, with Ethen, who strangely, still looks the same! We were unable to get all four kids together at this point.
Just mine this time. (My kids like to look at themselves in pictures.) They're both many inches taller now.
