Cricket Mania!

In Science this year we have become entomologists! We have studied flying creatures all year long but have especially enjoyed learning about all of the insects there are in the world. Alora has especially enjoyed learning about crickets. At coop, each student had to make a habitat and then were given a cricket to observe. Crickey died the first night! She was devastated. We gave Crickey a proper burial and then had to go get more. We ended up at the Bait and Tackle store purchasing this little cardboard carrier with 50, that's right people, crickets! (Aren't I a good mom?) 50 is the smallest number you could buy seeing as how they are usually going to become fish food, and apparently you need that many when fishing. BUT NOT TODAY! These 50 chosen crickets were a movin' on up to the Cricket Condo at Thompson Towers.

Alora's cricket condo. Look at those crickets just livin' it up in their new home. She was such a proud landlord!

Andrew's cricket condo. He went with only a few crickets to avoid overcrowding, plus his first cricket, UM, was still living there. It was a great day! The chirping that was coming from our front porch was just music to our ears.

A couple days later, while I was painting something in the back yard, the kids were busy digging a hole in the front yard! I could have died, it seems like every time I get something fixed around here, there is something else to deal with, like a big hole dug out by the children right outside the front door. UM passed away and they were holding a funeral service for him.

The mourners placed flowers on UM's grave . The tombstone said, "Here lies Um. 2010-2010." I tell you what-life is never dull with these two. Turns out, the lifespan of a cricket is, uh, short to say the least. I think there are only a few survivors out of our 52 but it has been a blast as the children have turned from cricket mourners to cricket forensic specialists determining how each die. Crickets, we have discovered, are pretty rough on each other and there have been many incidents involving "foul play" and "1st degree murder".
AH! Science at its finest!