Not So

JB, not to be outdone by BW's interest in insects has, over the summer acquired and lost several 'pets'. Roly-polys, ladybugs, daddy-long-legs, crickets and critters of every shape and size. None of them are safe so long as JB and BW are in the area.

The latest pet was a huge brown crickety-cricket - "Actually, mama, it's a Grasshopper, but it's okay if you want to call it a cricket." (Only six and already she's an authority. I wonder where ever she gets that...)

After several days time, the fellow became a casualty of curiosity. Each time JB or BW would lay eyes on the grass and hopper filled jar, they'd question if he was still alive and shake it. Finally after four days the poor thing didn't move any longer. BW's buddy Jim was expected for a play date - so JB decided to keep the bug until he came over and she could show him off.

After knowing BW for so long, Jim displayed only a passing interest in the bug until JB declared that it was time to bury it. It was at this point that our dear bug's contribution to science took an unexpected turn.

While BW was preoccupied with the Wii, Jim and JB took the grasshopper outside to bury it... along the way, one of them wondered, "What do the insides look like?"

So, they dumped the grasshopper onto the driveway, picked up the largest flattest rock they could find, and with all of the logic in the world, squished the bug. Squeals of "EWWWWW" could be in the house as the two raced in and shared excitedly, that hopper's two biggest legs had broken off "AND his GUTS squished ALL OVER! IT WAS SOOO COOL!"

Later, after Jim had gone home and we were telling Charles's about the day's events, he looked to JB and asked, "I can't remember, what was hopper's name again?"

With all of the soulful melancholy a six year old could muster, she looked sadly to the ground and replied, "His name was Lucky."