When I�m not feeling tired or frazzled I try to do something different with the kinder. Why? Because we all have fun childhood memories that stand out for us. It�s easy to make happy memories. It�s not about buying tons of gifts or being extravagant in other ways. It is as simple as changing the routine. Like having dessert before dinner, eating pie for breakfast, or climbing into your child�s bath with all of your clothes on.
A couple nights ago Mark did something with the girls that he�d been promising all summer long. He took them out to look for nightcrawlers a.k.a. super-sized earthworms.
I was an adult before I learned these worms have a tendency to migrate to the surface at night after a rainfall. It was Mark who took me out with a flashlight to observe how our lawn was crawling with them. It was not unlike a scene from Giant Spider Invasion, but only with worms, and they weren�t so large, and this invasion was of a quieter sort that didn�t result in anyone being eaten or abducted.
So last night was Emma and Sarah�s turn to see The World of Worms in Our Backyard. After they put on their pj�s and brushed their teeth, they donned rubber boots and headlamps and followed their father outside. It had rained much earlier in the day, and the ground was more or less dry � but after some searching they trained their sights on the flower beds. There they were. Big. Honkin. Worms. Everywhere! (Wondering that possesses them to do this? This site provides a lot of answers.)
As I write this I realize that you, dear Internet, migh find this phenomenon either very creepy or very cool. Myself, although I avoid touching the worms at all costs, do find it interesting nonetheless. (Note: In front of the girls, I do my best not to reveal that these things gross me out. I would rather they approach it all with an open mind, without having learned they�re icky. They can find that out for themselves later� but not from me.)
The girls were in awe. They, of course, wanted to touch the worms. Go ahead! Be my guest! As soon as they did, the worm zipped back into its hole at breakneck (can you use that word when writing about worms?) speed.
Soon afterward everyone came back inside to wash his or her hands and trundle off to bed. I think some good memories were made that night.
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