Living in a more rural setting than previously and now having neighbors who own sheep and steer and chickens, we most definitely have more yucky flies hovering about, demanding our attention if not our compost. And, having a daughter who loves every living creature without preference nor prejudice, I should have known this day would come.
"Hey, Mommmm...I caught some flies and I wanna keep them and observe them and see what they eat and how they live. Is that okay? Oh, and can you find me something to read so I can learn more about them? And can I use the microscope to look at their eyes and wings and legs and stuff? And..."
Houseflies. Filthy dirty houseflies that we once swatted when bothered by a stray and rare visitor but now catch by hand and release back into "the wild." Ugh.
But what home-schooling Charlotte Mason mother can say no? All living creatures seem to possess an inherent attraction for the youthful mind, right?!
Even houseflies.
"I guess so, as long as you keep them well contained and wash your hands for thirty full seconds when finished handling them and don't accidentally release them all through the house and..."
Within three days, Fiona learned:
- Flies eat almost anything, as longs as it's moist and maybe rotting.
- Flies don't live very long.
- Flies have the coolest eyes.
- Flies have hair all over their bodies.
- She's seen maggots before and now knows were to find more of them so that she can raise some flies herself whenever she wants.
Greeaaatttt.
You've gotta love a non-prejudiced lover of all living things.
ReplyDeleteJust yesterday Max walked through with one of our kitchen containers, informing me it was to be the house for his new pet fly.
Um, not the food container honey, okay?
What can I say, when I was a child my brother used to tie a single hair as a lasso around his captured fly's neck. Ugh.
Yep, funny. Just glad it is Olivia not Jemimah...yet.
ReplyDeleteMy 7yo nephew is like that - he'd make a fine Buddhist with his philosophy of kill no living creature. (Just kidding). He gets so upset when his Daddy steps on a snail that they have to creep out at night and collect them in bags and put them in the rubbish bins!! Snails, flies, ants - all are pets to him!