My Daughter, Future Entomologist

My 3 1/2 year-old daughter loves bugs. I say that she's my future entomologist. My husband says bugs are dirty and shouldn't be touched.

When I was a kid I liked ants, ladybugs, rollie-pollies, lightning bugs and the occasional little spider. I was pretty much a tomboy, and when bored, I'd even go on an adventure with my friend Joey and Dig for Worms. I also had a cousin who used to collect bugs constantly, and keep them in a closed coffee can with the plastic lid on top with a few holes so they can breathe. As I got older, bugs and crawly things appealed to me even less. I really don't want to be around any of them, let alone have these creatures crawl on me intentionally.

Now that I have an inquisitive little girl, I don't want her to be fearful of bugs, and she can actually learn a lot from them too. So, I encourage the insanity of watching my uncle pick up this GIANT cicada and bring it over for my little girl to observe. Oh, what we do for our children. eeeeeks.

Recently, my husband and I went to play tennis. Ladybug usually tags along with us and hangs out while we play (we always bring her tennis racquet so she can "play" with us a bit too). I'll also pack some snacks, a couple of toys, markers, and the DVD player to keep her occupied so my dh and I can have about an hour of play. But even with all of that, one day I said, "Why don't you go and look for ladybugs over there in the bushes." Well, she found a few and it kept her busy. A few minutes go by and she asked me to fill her cup with water. I thought she was thirsty, so I filled it. After about the 3rd time, I began to give her more water and my dh comes over frustrated because we have to keep stopping our match. "Are you drinking this water?" I asked. "No," she said, "I'm giving the ladybug a bath." Daddy was annoyed, "Why are you doing that?!" "Daddy, YOU said ladybugs are dirty. So I'm giving her a bath so I can play with her."

Later, she told me she pulled off the ladybug's wings because she didn't want her to fly away. Entomologist? Hmmm... maybe I should imagine another profession for my Little Ladybug.