SOCIAL MEDIA

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Living With Smarty Pants


God gives us children for lots of reasons. One of them, I believe, is to humble us. My oldest son, who I hope no one has noticed has had 3 different titles now since I started blogging, is (and I mean this with all the deepest love in my motherly heart) a know-it-all. He has always been a good reader and soaks up information he reads like a sponge, and then spits it, usually word for word, back out to willing ears. I humbly admit, he is already much smarter than me, at age 11.

This morning, we were observing a large bee hovering around our playground. Several of the younger ones had come inside because of it, and we were trying to figure out what kind of a bee it was. My oldest son (The Encyclopedia) said "I think it's a carpenter bee. They make their nests by cutting holes in wood. Sometimes they will live in a brick if there is already a hole in it." After looking at it for some time I said, "You know what (insert name here)? I don't think it is. It looks like a bumble bee." But I am thinking to myself, "Don't bumblebees hang around flowers? We have NO flowers in our backyard or anything else that would entice a bee, just a bunch of half dead grass. So why was this bee keeping watch over our playground?" I mean, it was weird! It hovered and hovered. Then he proceeds to tell me that carpenter bees actually look like bumble bees and some people mistake them for them. (ahem) and shows me a picture in his science book.

This afternoon he informed my mom and I that there was a squid called a collosal squid, one whose tentacles were so sharp they could cut the flesh of a sperm whale. I remark that I would not like to encounter one, and he says "Oh well, you wouldn't mom, they live in the deepest part of the ocean where men can't go." And as I type this and he reads over my shoulder he says, "you might add that the collosal squid is bigger than the giant squid, with razor sharp rotating teeth on the tentacles. It can take on up to 3 whales, causing alot of damage." I leave you with that pleasant imagery.

5 comments :

  1. Tell your oldest that thankfully, though the mantle (body) on the Colossal squid is longer than that of the Giant squid, its tentacles are shorter. Which, as far as I'm concerned, is more reassuring.

    Also, though the reading level may be too challenging for him right now, Richard Ellis' "The Search for the Giant Squid" is an excellent read for someone interested in the squishier, scarier members of the deep.

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  2. Don't tell him I said this (look here, boy-o, if you're hovering turn away now) but his carpenter bee knowledge confirmed what I thought has been hanging around our eaves.

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    1. I saw several hovering today. There's a little precious family that's moved in.

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  3. Can he advise me about the bees I see burrowing in my gardens? Are they nesting in there? Since I have discovered them doing this in various places I am now afraid to dig anywhere for fear of upsetting a hidden herd/flock/gang? of bees! When I told my husband they were disappearing into the soil he first didn't believe me, but then he saw it for himself.

    I think living with, or rather raising, a human encyclopedia sounds wonderful. You are very blessed. :)

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    1. Here is his response: "Basically there is a certain type of be that digs holes in the ground and lays its eggs there. It puts spiders in there to feed it and the spider is left to die a long uncomfortable death. It is a solitary bee, it doesn't come in swarms." :) So says the Encyclopedia.

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