Backyard Biology

Yesterday we spent all afternoon exploring the wonders of our backyard. After realizing we had a wasp nest right above our back porch swing, we had to get out the wasp spray. Not wanting their deaths to be in vain, I thought it'd be fun to show the boys the different stages of a wasps development as a larvae. We also realized that we still had a bird nest in one of our hanging plants, so I was able to show the boys the babies. Later in the day, they all flew out and we watched them as they "stretched their wings"! It was wonderful. We did lots of yardwork and we discovered the strangest bugs in one of our trees. It looked like a creature the boys have from their King Kong toys. Finally, Drew spotted the world's largest stink bug! We had a wonderful time.

The wasp nest that was right above the swing. I couldn't take the chance at getting stung, so we sprayed it.

I explained to the boys how the wasps begin as a tiny little speck and then grow to a full grown wasp, then I challenged them to line up the larvae in order of youngest to oldest. This was the final result.

Here is the mystery bug. The antennae are longer than the bug itself! It looks like a type of "clicker bug" but much bigger and clickers don't usually have antannea like this. Maybe it's a female? We're going to research the bug to see what it is.

Here's one of the baby birds in the hanging basket.

Here's the stink bug that Drew found. It's camouflaged with the tree!

Boys of Summer

It all started the last weekend of Evan's baseball playoffs. One of his teammates got a crew cut. Since then, I've been hinting that Evan should also get a crew cut. He vehemently refused.

At the end of the season party, we saw two more of his teammates (one of them, his best friend Josh) and found out also that Josh's little brother Jared also received a buzz cut. Again, I hinted that he'd look good and feel great in the summer time heat with a crew cut. "NO WAY!" was the reply.

Today at Adoration, Evan made a comment that he needed a haircut because it was too long, so when I got home I told him I'd give him 10 bucks if he'd get a crew cut! Well, now he wasn't so opposed, but he wasn't exactly for it either. Elliot, however, was sold! He wanted a crew cut and he wanted it now! Drew was also on the crew cut bandwagon.

So we went to Sport Clips and Evan was the reluctant Marine, going in first. The girl had him put his head down and she went to town with the old #2 guard on the clippers. I called Elliot and Drew over. Elliot immediately says, "I want my crew cut NOW." Drew, on the other hand, had a complete change of heart as he saw lock after lock of Evan's hair hit the deck. He looked up at me and I could see the look in his eyes. I was in danger of not even getting him in the barber's chair. I said, "Don't it look great?!" "NO! I don't want a crew cut..." Evan shared Drew's sentiment. He is not a fan of his new 'do.

The next barber called Elliot's name and got busy. Elliot was so excited and smiled all the while the clippers lopped off his mane. He LOVES having a crew cut.

When it was Drew's turn, he feared I was going to make him get one too, but I assured him he could get his "faux-hawk", and he did.

We got home and tried out the new ball player cuts in the front yard and confirmed that the crew cuts help them run faster, jump higher and hit the ball farther!

We're ready for Summer!!