Encounter with a Wheel Bug
Alternate title: "How to unknowingly expose your kids to a potentially dangerous bug and live to tell the tale."
This past weekend we went to pumpkin fest - it was a gorgeous, perfect day to spend sliding down a hay slide and playing in some corn pits. Near the end of the afternoon we came upon a large bug which the kids loved to (carefully) play with and investigate:
- A wheel bug hanging onto the edge of a finger
- The wheel bug slowly crawls from hand to hand
- Letting a wheel bug climb up Sam's arm
- Libby posing with a wheel bug on her sleeve
We did not know at the time, but that bug was a Wheel Bug (Arilus cristatus):
The [wheel] bug plunges its beak into its victim, pinning its prey with its front legs. It then injects enzymes into the victim, paralyzing it and dissolving its insides, and proceeds to drain all of the victim's bodily fluids. The bite of a wheel bug is painful and may take months to heal (sometimes leaving a small scar), so caution is highly advised when handling them.
Yikes! Guess we won't be handling these bugs in the future (at least not with kids 
).
Perfect Girls Day
I currently have six girls (most from our neighborhood) playing a constantly evolving game of "Barbie" in our house. At times they are pretending to be at the beach, other times it sounds like they are negotiating a delicate middle east peace treaty (you and Libby can share this horse, until Madeline is done with her boots, then she can give them to Grace):
I am greatly enjoying the whole experience - makes me feel like the dad in "Cheaper by the Dozen". Wish we could support a nice half dozen kids of our own (if only they come out talking, sleeping through the night, and potty trained .
Table for Four at Scholar’s Inn
The past weekend we went to IU to watch Jon Stewart perform (and to celebrate Tim and my birthdays). We grabbed a bite to eat before the show at the Scholar's Inn - it was delicious:
- Mmm, mmm, tasty scallops!
- Get that man some fish to eat, he looks angry!
- Lovely petite steak there, lassie!
- Meh – looks like pretty good pork.
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