Summer Nights and Lightning Bugs

[MomToOneOfEach]

I honestly forgot how much fun it is to go outside on a nice summer night and catch lightning bugs. I used to do this as a child and had a lot of fun chasing them around the yard, of course my parents probably loved it too, because all that running made me tired. LOL

The other day I had went to the dollar store (Man sometimes I love that place) and found this little bug container.  It is clear all the way around and on the top there are air holes and even a little magnifying glass.  So I got it intending to take it home and that night getting it out and showing the kids how to catch lightning bugs.  I looked out the window and saw only two lightning bugs (Possibly just the same one that flew to another part of the yard).  So we didn't go outside that night.

Sitting outside the night before last there were lightning bugs EVERYWHERE!!!  I ran inside and got my little dollar store container and had the hubby, Gage, and Addi follow me to the back yard.  Gage my curious little monster asked me what I had in my hand and I told him that we were going to catch lightning bugs and put them in this container.  First I had to explain to the children that lightning bugs DO NOT bite.  Then of course they did not believe me and I had to prove it by catching one myself.

That started what seemed to be an all out war to see how many each person could catch, with Gage in the lead of course.  We spent about 1 hour in the back yard, all four of us running around like chickens with our heads cut off trying to find and catch lightning bugs.  We ended the night with 24 little glowing butts in our container.  :)

We then took them inside and turned out all of the lights and watched one by one light up all at random times.  My children 2 and 5 were very entertained by this.  We ended up keeping them until the next morning by our bedside where we ALL fell asleep together.  Then we woke in the morning and all four of us went and sat on the porch, undone the top of the little bug container, and watched them fly off one by one.

We repeated all of the above steps last night, however we have two containers now so that the children have lightning bugs by both of their beds while they are going to sleep.  This must be soothing to watch while trying to go to bed.  We will probably do this every night now until the summer is over then we will have to find something to do during the winter but I am not so sure what just yet. :)

[MSugarKane]

Jun. 18, 2009 at 1:47 PM

That is sooo So SO much fun for c hildren to do!  I just did that recently when I was babysitting my four year old grandson in Maryland.  Just watching him run after them, look for them, cup his little hands to catch one and running back to me with one was not only entertaining for him but for me also.