raising little guardians

You know you are doing a good job of raising and encouraging budding naturalists when you encounter their work almost everywhere you pass....when their fascination, bordering on obsession, with everything wild, living, dirty and good drives their very being.

You know you are doing a good job when you find yourself eating french toast at the breakfast table with not one, but up to half a dozen male rhinoceros beetles for guests... and you don't mind. (In actual fact in addition to being quite fascinating miniature beasts, they have quite sweet manners and don't eat a lot.)

You know however you can be a nervous Mama when their pursuit of and desire to touch anything fungus makes you slightly uneasy.

But if encouraging your little guardians of the earth involves bedside tables littered with river rocks, crystals and gum nuts....

the kitchen bench scattered with plucked flowers and pine cones and sea shells....

the cabinets topped with birds nests.....

glasses taken to accommodate handfuls of collected berries.....

boxes being made and lined for dead lizards (yes, dead lizards) and snails.....

and lunchboxes being emptied at school and refilled with feathers, leaves and other strange nuts, then I'm sure I must be doing a good job......

And if I smile much much more than I cringe (because secretly I do love it too) doing a great job of raising little naturalists.... little guardians..... is certainly a good good thing.... don't you agree?