Research

Blythe has taken quite a fancy to rolly polly bugs, scientifically named Armadillidium vulgare.  I'm not sure where the interest sprang from, but she has been bug focused for a couple of weeks now.  She has been collecting them with her friend Cailin, and is currently storing them in their "habitat," a plastic Doc McStuffins box.  Kent suggested she add some dirt so they have something to eat and she gasped, "They eat dirt?!"  She and Cailin named them Daddy Flower ("The biggest one"), Mommy Flower ("She is the medium one"), Sissy Flower ("She is the small medium one"), and Baby Flower ("The tiny one").  These names are a bit Hippie Flower to me, but they aren't my rolly pollys, so I am offering no opinion.

Blythe did an animal research project for school in April, and one of the things she had to identify was the animal's enemies.  When she asked what the rolly polly's enemies were, Brandt helpfully said, "Birds, humans, and worms."
Blythe said, "Why humans?"
Brandt replied, "Well, if you squish them."
I could have added, though I didn't, if you pick them up off the ground and put them in a plastic box, that probably isn't very good for them either.  I'm also almost absolutely confident that worms do not eat rolly pollys.

The other night at bedtime, Blythe was doddling downstairs.  Kent said to her, "You need to hurry upstairs."

"Dad," she protested, "I need to put my rolly pollys away.  If they all get out, Cailin and I will not be able to study them to see what they do and what they eat and how many legs they have.  Then we could not write our book and have it published."  Kent agreed to let her put the bugs away (in the Doc McStuffins box, which really just meant closing the box because these rolly pollys are not free-ranging around the house), and after just a brief pause, Blythe said, "What does publish mean?"

Be on the lookout for Blythe's forthcoming book all around rolly pollys.  Should be gripping reading.