All Things Creepy Crawly.

One of our local museums had an exhibition on "Snakes, Bugs and Other Backyard Monsters." Just the kinda thing I dislike with a passion that is only mirrored by the lead character in the Indiana Jones movies. Snakes, I hate snakes. But off we went in squeezing in the last of Spring Break Fun...a storm was approaching (last night Tahoe got 14-inches of snow...mercifully we got none...just wind and snow showers)...and I just wanted to get back to my hot tea and knitting.

Fortunately, we first encoutered the benign and peaceful koi pond.

Unfortunately, Bella fixated on it...like only a two-year-old can fixate on something...and kept wanting to go back to it. "I want to go see the fishies," she demanded at every turn.

From L to R , clockwise - The fishies, Mama, look!; I want to see the fishies; But the fishies are over there!; Bubby, come see the fishies.

Dada, I don't care about the big mantis...the fishies are over there!

The fishies, I want to see the fishies.

But, where are the fishies? Can we go back?

From L to R, clockwise - Butterflies, the ones Kata and Mama liked, a mechanical beetle, a giant yucky scorpion (yes, we have those in the High Desert...yikes!..but not so very big).

Alex loved playing with the mechanical beetles...following in his grandfather's engineering footsteps, no doubt.

Kata made her own dragonfly headband. She did all the coloring and cutting herself. She's practicing all those Kindergarten skills...color within the lines, cut close.

The funny thing here, as most of you know, since Alex was around 4 he's had a tremendous fear of dragonflies. Inexplicable. I agree. So to see him with this is rather amusing for some of us.

The giant bug eye was loved by all. Kata was still coloring and cutting her headband. Mama's Little Crafter.

Dada, but I want to see the fishies!

We then walked over to the next exhibition room where we ::HAD:: to put together these giant ant puzzles.

And just as I was beginning to give up, Mr. Riggsby, in one of his mechanical moods, put them together quite nicely. Eighteen years of knowing him (fifteen in marriage this September) and he still has a knack of surprising me when I least expect it.

Then the nice lady with three millipedes, all named Fred incidentally (Baby Fred, Big Fred, Fat Fred) came in and Kata's hand was outstretched first. She loved holding Baby Fred. Big Brother stepped up to the plate because he couldn't be outdone by his Little Sister and actually held the millipede. Bella just wondered if we could go back to the fish.

And all three of our Future Scientists loved using the mircoscopes and the mechanical models. "Is there a fish in there, Bubby?", wondered Bella.

Then it was time for the sssssssSnakes...yikes...Again, Kata stepped right up and held her hands out.

She is ::SO:: brave...she thought they were fabulous. And my Big Boy, Alex, once again stepped up...taking the lead set by Kata and held the icky snake.

As we head into the work and school week, I wish you a moment of sheer bravado. You can do it,really, you can.

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