signs of summer

A fond memory of my own childhood is catching fireflies (or lightening bugs, whichever suits your fancy). I've loved introducing this magical wonder to our kids and we've had fun pretending to be kids again ourselves jumping around in the grass trying to catch the bugs in the dwindling sunlight. Ella has kept them in her room in a jar (the first firefly we caught early in the week passed away several days ago and his carcass still sits motionless in the jar.) Last night at the kid's grandparents' place, we caught quite a load and put them all in a sippy cup which sits next to Ella's bed with the other dead one to remind them of what's to come. Tonight as we put the kids to bed, I heard Bryan say, "Poor bugs." to which I had to chuckle, knowing that he must have inflicted much worse torture on various creatures over the course of his childhood.

Later, after books were read and I spent some time quietly chatting to Ella in her bed, she posed the question, "what if I were to drink down all those lightening bugs and then they were all in my belly?" She giggled to herself, knowing it was a silly question, but we had quite a time coming up with all the possible outcomes to this scenario like:

1. Her eyes would glow so that she could never fall asleep because it was too bright.
2. Her belly button would blink like a stoplight.
3. Her teeth would glow in the dark.
4. Strands of light would shoot out of the tips of her hair.
5. (Ella's favorite) If she tooted, light would shine out of her butt!

We had quite a laugh tonight.