Skip to main content

We have a pet praying mantis named Cereal.

Well, his name might not actually be Cereal, because there was a big debate and nothing was decided.  The options were between: Pointy, Praying Mantis, and Cereal (of course).  And since the other names were so boring, I decided that I can say his name is Cereal, because WHY NOT?  Even though mostly we just call it, IT.

(My kids are never very creative when it comes to naming things.  This sort of annoys me.  For example, say they have a stuffed animal that is a black kitten.  They'll name it either Kitty or Blackie.  Even though I'm right there saying, "Why not name it Biscotti?  Or Cleopatra?  Or Flappy-Doodle?"  And the kids all look at me like I'm stupid and go on calling things Kitty and Blackie.  It's kind of sad.)

The whole idea of having a pet praying mantis is, in my opinion, extremely stupid.  What with my tremendous dislike of the entire bugdom, and the fact that my children are even afraid of things like fruit flies, I don't know what Husband was thinking when he bought a plastic "insect habitat" and decided to keep something that looks like this:



in my house.

(Ok, I'm super creeped out by that picture.  Does that creep anyone else out?  Because I feel like screaming now.)

So far my kids are fascinated by Cereal the praying mantis.  Husband fed it some other bugs this morning, which was, obviously, the highlight of breakfast.  You know, if you like watching small things get devoured in a violent manner.  Which, apparently, my kids do.

I seriously hope it dies.  And soon.  And that it's not replaced by something even more gross.  Like a tarantula or something (that my kids would probably name Spidey).

Comments

Barbaloot said…
Ew. That picture is awful---and I hardly even looked at it! Although I can appreciate anything being named Cereal.
I bet it IS fascinating and a great learning op for the kids, but I am REALLY creeped out by that picture. ICK

Stop by A Creative Spirit www.acreativespirit.com Wednesday.... I am announcing a new GREAT monthly giveaway..... I would love to know your thoughts on it.
We are VERY good at naming things. You should let us pick the next names. We'll come up with a top 3, and they can pick from that. PROBLEM SOLVED.
My kids sound a lot like yours. They named their teddy bear...(wait for it) BEAR. And the toy wombat from Australia? WOMBAT. And yes, i too try to persuade them to lean more towards creativity. No go.

Except for when we got a baby chicken. My teenagers thought it was hilarious to call it: Nugget. And then they said, "When it grows up we can call it, McChicken!"

I was not amused.
Or Tarry. Tarry the Tarantula.
Unknown said…
I was told (but I don't know if it's true) that it is illegal to capture a praying mantis> seriously. They are like the yoda of the bug kingdom.

You can always use this as an excuse (true or not) to release the guy into the great outdoors.
Janice said…
I love your blog! Am becoming a follower. My kid's have the same naming problem. The animals they sleep with? Chick, Hoppy, Dog, Bunny and another Bunny. Sad, sad.

Popular posts from this blog

dream home

I don't really want a 'dream home'. I don't want to settle down in one house to raise my kids and then grandkids and then great-grandkids. I don't want to be trapped within the confines of the same exact walls from this moment until the day I die. The whole idea sounds like torture. Sometimes my house feels like a prison. (Although, I think it may have something to do with the little wardens that keep me from leaving at my leisure.) And once I've lived in one place long enough I just get really really bored. We've been married for 8 years and moved 7 times. I always hate the moving part, but I do like being somewhere new. And the house we're in right now is actually perfect for us. Just the size we need, great neighbors, close to the school, blah blah blah. The only thing is that we're renting and I can't paint the walls. I like painting walls. But for the most part, I really like living here. Granted, we've only lived here for seve...

hair loss and mourning

I like Monkey's hair long.  I tried to grow out Opie's hair when he was younger, but he has always had a tremendously large head, and he also has very thick wavy hair.  You pair those two together, throw in some long locks, and you've got yourself a genuinely bonified giant-head child.  So I've learned my lesson: keep Opie's hair short. But Monkey's hair?  It's so soft, and straight (our only straight-haired child) and super super cute when it's long.  SUPER CUTE.  (Agree with me - it's my blog.)  But not many people liked the whole long hair thing.  I kept having to threaten various family members with things like, "If I come back to find him with short hair I will DISOWN you, run away with my kids and you will never hear from us again.  EVER."  (Husband was particularly sensitive to this threat.) However, I did say that once random strangers started referring to him as a girl, I would consider cutting it.  And even though ...

The Barrel giveaway : Sea and Asters

 As mentioned in this month's issue of The Barrel I'm giving away something from Sea and Asters ! These are the coolest plants.  EVER.  They're low maintenance and look mega-awesome.  I'm totally getting one for myself....as soon as I decide which ONE it is that I love.  (Seeing as they're all uber-mega-awesome, I'm having a hard time deciding on a favorite.) The winner of this giveaway will receive a Hanging Globe Terrarium (worth $25) from Sea and Aster's etsy shop. This giveaway is open to US residents only.  All giveaways associated with The Barrel end on March 15th at 11:59 PM MT. Here's how to enter: 1- For ONE entry: visit Sea and Aster's Etsy shop then leave a comment on this post about which is your favorite product. 2- For another ONE entry you can "heart" Sea and Aster's Etsy shop . (Leave a separate comment telling me that you "hearted" them.) 3- For ONE more entry you can subscribe to The Barrel...