FIVE.

i found him on the brown post outside of my mom's front door.

on my way to collect chase from GiGi's.

i ran back into my mom's house screaming for a cup.

she was in the middle of leaving a message for someone on their answering machine.

that was probably the funniest part.

listening to her explain why she stopped in the middle of her message and then have to explain what in the heck she was actually leaving a message about.

memories:)

sorry mom.

so then i ran out to the backyard carrying the leaf bug in a red spiderman cup,

hollering for the kids to come see what i caught.

it was tickling the inside of my palm.

and part of me was nervous about maybe these bugs bite?

but really,

green leaf bug.

obviously no need to bite when you're main defense is to look like an actual leaf.

so the kids all ran over,

and the leaf bug flew from the ground, to the fence, to the patio chairs, to my foot.

and jaren and brennan decided he might like to be pet with a leaf stem.

so they pet him with a leaf stem,

and do you know what?

i think that leaf bug might actually have liked it.

he didn't fly away,

and they were soft and sweet with him.

and i was just so glad we weren't at home watching tv on the couch.

that's exactly what i thought.

on further inspection it was declared that our little leafy friend only had 5 legs.

and did i know that insects have 6 legs?

yep.

so then they counted his legs about a hundred times just to make sure it was in fact a leaf bug amputee.

and then he flew away and they walked off talking about how he must have lost that 6th missing leg.

i promise you,

there is no cooler insect other than the preying mantis than this.

and i'd say it's really more of a tie.