What's Buggin' You?

As I sit on my porch sipping lemonade, I realize that spring in Southern California is in full swing. Yes, many of you may think we have perpetual spring weather, but there are a few trademark occurrences that symbolize the change in season. The hillsides are covered with brilliant yellow and orange poppies, the neighborhoods are buzzing with kids playing outside after dinner and, last but not least, there's the arrival of the rolie polie bug. You know the one. Looks like a miniature armadillo. Lots of legs. Creepy. Crawly. And downright annoying.

Each year, these bugs arrive in droves to the popular vacation spot of (drum roll, please) my backyard. I counted 88 of these little boogers in the past five minutes alone. They are in my house, on my couch, and spinning in my dryer. Normally, I would sweep them into grass or stomp them with my new tennies, but this year is different. Why? I have a four-year-old son who is truly made of snips, snails, and puppy dog tails and apparently, has a soft spot for bugs, too. No longer does my son want to play with trucks, cars, and other things that go bump, boom, and crash. He would much rather play “hide and seek” with his new "friends". And, wouldn't you know it; he found them the best hiding place besides his pant's pockets. Where? Let’s just say that next Easter we'll ensure there are no little plastic eggs from this year.

His little entomological fascination has now affected my three-year-old daughter, who also appears to have a large amount of snail and puppy dog tail in her blood. She has completely eschewed her army of Care Bears to spend the afternoon kissing a rolie polie she affectionately has named Bob. I must say that I am completely buggin' out. What's a mom to do?

I reached my breaking point the other night as I was spring cleaning up the back yard. I no longer could  resist the urge to stomp on these little pests. And stomp I did. Oh, it felt good – at least until the next morning when my son looked as crushed as the bugs. "Mommy, why did you hurt my friends? You know that kicking and hitting is wrong. You need to go into a time out!" he firmly ordered. Darnit! He chose that particular moment to show me that he really has been paying attention during all those teachable moments.

After a short time out (where I counted yet another 37 rolie polies) and at my son’s urging, I decided to have a heart-to-heart with the "Boss Bug.” This is difficult to do when you don't know which end is which. Plus bugs don't exactly stay still. But I forged ahead; I told "The Boss" that I would quit stomping on his family if they would stay out of my house, off my couch, and away from dryer. Strangely, I felt a sense of peace restored after my conversation, and summer is just around the corner. I’m reassured to know that spring break will soon end for the rolie polies. But wait; what is that in the distance? Oh no, is that a caravan of ants traveling toward my side yard?

Julie Watson Smith, mom of three and founder of Mommy Hullabaloo. More than just a parenting column, it is a national company inspiring moms to get organized and energized while learning, living, and loving the chaos of mommyhood! Julie is also the author of Mommyhood Diaries: Living the Chaos One Day at a Time (Wyatt McKenzie Publishing, 2005) and the upcoming Mommy Hullabaloo’s Guidebook to Learning, Living and Loving the Chaos of Mommyhood (TBD). Visit Julie at www.mommyhullabaloo.com.