Havin' an ugly bug ball!

If you know Jones at all, you know that he is a little bit, shall we say, "timid" in some aspects of his life. This, I know, will serve him well in life; other moms are constantly telling me it'll probably mean far fewer trips to the ER, which is a REALLY good thing.  His natural inclination to timidity is a trait he inherits from BOTH of his parents. Jeremy and I were each a little "discriminating" in our activities, particularly as young children. That's why this story both surprises and THRILLS me.

After the boys' naps, we went over to the Pressleys'. When we got there, I saw a caterpillar climbing the outside wall of the house. I caught it on a stick and showed it to Jones, assuming he'd be interested but stand-offish. Instead, he petted the worm - the first he'd ever seen, I guess - and that was that. Well, probably an hour later, we were all outside. I was standing in the grass talking to Mrs. Pressley when Jones walked over CARRYING A CATERPILLAR.

I LOVE how proud he looks of his little buddy here
and how tightly he's holding him, not knowing his
grip could mean ... well, you know.

I don't even know where in the world he found it. All I know is that my naturally-timid son picked up a crawling creature THAT NO ONE FORCED HIM TO HOLD and proceeded to carry it around for at least 15 minutes, as if they were old friends. Instead of letting it creep and crawl all over his finger, though, he carried the future butterfly in a pincher grasp, which ultimately, we think, may have led to the "demise" of the furry fella, but still.

It made me SO excited to see him so recklessly and excitedly engage with something so new to him. At least, that's how I felt until my natural timidity kicked in, and I started worrying about all the OTHER critters he'll be bringing home now.

But seriously, it was awesome, and it was adorable to see how tenderly and proudly he petted the worm - even kissing him at one point (he also tends to kiss his tractor on the hood; at least, it'll always know how Jones feels about him).

I know it goes without saying, but seriously, Y'all. I love watching these boys grow up.

my beautiful boy