"Don't kiss the worm!"

Being the mother of a boy is well...influential...to say the least. I find myself driving down the road, exclaiming "Whoa, BIG truck"...only to realize, I'm alone!

Before Little Man, even as a country girl, I had no interest in bugs. Super Hunk maintains I have the same scream for if a bug bites me...or if it simply flies by me. Hey, that thing looked me right in the eye!

However, when your son approaches you with a proposition to dig for worms...you grab your shovel, without asking questions. His cuteness is intoxicating!

Yesterday, we did just that. It was a beautiful day and the ground was still moist from our recent rains (Praise the Lord). After a few creepy crawly discoveries...this was our conversation.

LM: "Mama, wook...BIG worm! Hold it."

(While wearing my gardening gloves, I placed the GINORMOUS worm in my giddy son's hand.)

LM: "Hi, worm. Awwwwww, worm (as he rubbed it on his cheek, as if to caress it). Mama, hug worm."

Me: "DON'T hug the worm!"

(As he squeezed the poor worm, with all his might.)

Me: "Don't squeeze the worm, you'll hurt him."

LM: "Sorry, worm. Mama, kiss the worm!"

Me: "DON'T kiss the worm!"

LM: "Mama, worm hungwy."

Me: "Worms eat dirt...(I see what he's thinking...so I follow up with) but we don't!"

LM: "Mama, put worm in pocket."

Me: "DON'T put the worm in your pocket! (At this point, I'm starting to feel sorry for the poor worm.) In fact, let's put the (traumatized) worm back in the dirt and cover him up."

LM: (As he launches the nearly lifeless worm back in the flower bed...catapults two handfuls of dirt on top...and stomps it in place.) "Night night, worm!"

I take a moment to laugh at our ability to communicate...and can't help but think that poor worm is screaming "INCH FOR YOUR LIVES" to his fellow dirt mates!

Life with boys!