Curiousity, A ‘Good’ Bug and Chocolate Chip Cookies

Now you may be wondering how on earth am I going to combine the above topics into one post.  

Well, they all occurred yesterday while we were visiting my in-law’s house.  We go there every week to help out around the house and do the things that my father-in-law can no longer do since he is suffering from ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease).

Okay, first I will talk about curiosity and a bug.  Actually this involves my three youngest children and a praying mantis that they found in my in-law’s backyard.

Do you remember how curious you were as a child about living things?  There seems to be a natural connection between kids and certain bugs.  Now, my kids will not touch a spider knowingly, but they are fascinated by other bugs.

Yesterday, they discovered a praying mantis on a Pink Trumpet Vine in the back garden.

As you can see, it was very young and small.  I don’t think my kids would have handled a full grown mantis.

The kids had fun taking turns holding the little praying mantis, who in turn would walk up and down their arms.

I remember playing with pill bugs as a child and seeing them roll up into tiny, gray balls.  We would put them into a margarine container with some grass and leaves.  Of course, they would die if we didn’t let them loose.

My youngest daughter, Gracie, who can be a little afraid of bugs even decided to hold this little insect (you can just barely see it on her arm)…

It lasted about 3 seconds because the praying mantis scurried up her arm and she was afraid it would go up her sleeve 😉

We have a rule that if the bugs are beneficial, that the kids can play with them for a while, but have to release them out into the garden the same day.

So, since praying mantis are great at eating harmful insects, we let him go.

**Here is an interesting fact for you – Did you know that praying mantis are carnivores and have been known to actually eat hummingbirds if they stray too close?  It’s true!

The kids were having so much fun with their new little friend that they forgot about the chocolate chip cookies that they had just helped to make with their grandma.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I didn’t forget though….

I must confess that I ate 3 of those big cookies, which is why I don’t make a lot of cookies at home.  I did try to make it up for it by eating salad for dinner 😉

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I hope your week is off to a good start.  My kids start school today and my husband and I are ‘celebrating’ by going to the movies and enjoying some time alone.

Does that make me a bad mom or maybe one that just needs a little break…..

Cookies and Sugar Cone Christmas Trees

Noelle Johnson, aka, 'AZ Plant Lady' is a author, horticulturist, and landscape consultant who helps people learn how to create, grow, and maintain beautiful desert gardens that thrive in a hot, dry climate. She does this through her consulting services, her online class Desert Gardening 101, and her monthly membership club, Through the Garden Gate. As she likes to tell desert-dwellers, "Gardening in the desert isn't hard, but it is different."