Beetles

This is funny. Sophie came up to show me something. She has a painted egg box she calls her treasure chest. Full of bits of cardboard and coloured feathers. “Daddy, some beetles” – she says – “I got them downstairs”. Opens the box. There’re two wood lice crawling around in there. “Look you can pick them up and if your’re careful and don’t touch the legs…” as she proceeds to pick one up and I recoil in horror. “Hang on there a minute” – I say – “show your mother”.

Off she goes to repeat the performance. This time a louse crawls out of the box and Jean is not impressed. I’ve always been a bit freaked by these things – them and daddy long legs. But I’m kind of fascinated by Sophie. Jean says “They’re not beetles”! Sophie does a double take and goes – “Yuck thery’re not beetles” and for some unfathomable reason is now horrified herself all of a sudden! What in her little head made her suddenly think “ooh nasty” except the power of suggestion? Daddy to the rescue thereafter to chuck them out the back.

On the positive side Sophie’s pre-school teacher spoke in glowing terms of our little girl today so I’m not too worried! Maybe she’ll grow up to be an entomologist or something….