Another Kind of Antsy

We bought an ant colony in February, and we have been waiting for the ants to come in the mail. The weather has been too cold for them to be shipped, but they finally arrived on Monday.

Calvin is in heaven. He seriously watched them for thirty straight minutes after we first dumped them from their little tube into the gel, and has spent subsequent half hours, including when he first woke up this morning, watching them work.

He also likes us to read little facts from the booklet and then tell anyone and everyone about his ants whenever he gets a chance.

I have to admit the ants are pretty fascinating, but I love most of all to watch Calvin's interest and wonder, and to listen to the things he says:

"There are twenty-three live ants and seven dead ones. I think riding in the mail was too hard for some of them."

"They all look exactly alike."

"I don't really feel like naming all of them. It will be too hard to tell them apart."

"There are treellions of ants all over the world."

"We can't shake them or move them around too much because they are working so hard and shaking them will make them even more tired and sick and they will die."

"I wish they had a queen."

"I think they are working on taking care of their dead friends before they start making tunnels."

"All those little speckles are what they have dug up to make their tunnels!"

"Whoa! They already made a tunnel all the way to the bottom. They are working sooo hard!"

Basically, I'd say this is the best $20 I've spent on a toy, ever. ($17 for the kit, $3 for them to send the ants.)