Entomophobia...

I hate bugs. Hate, hate, hate. I know that is a strong word, but that is how I feel about them.

Wikipedia says that Entomophobia is "a common fear of or adversion to insects and similar arthropods, and even other 'bugs', such as worms. Commonly, this condition might be referred to as the "fear of insects or bugs". This condition causes a slight to severe emotional reaction, a form of anxiety or a panic attack." I honestly think I have this. I don't remember when I started hating bugs. As a child, I loved bugs and creepy crawling things. But as I've gotten older the sight of them causes me to shiver. If a bug comes near me I scream like a girl. A high pitched shriek complete with hands and feet flying in every direction. I don't hate all bugs. I can deal with butterflies, moths aren't too bad, and lighting bugs are okay with me.

Avery with a butterfly at the Butterfly Show at Krohn Conservatory last year.

My family knows how much I hate bugs and they like to make fun of me for it. The kids are always putting bugs near me or even worse, throwing them on me. The kids think it's hilarious to see me freaking out. When the cicadas invaded last year I didn't think I was going to make it. There were hundreds, thousands, millions of them! The noise was horrible. They are blind so they just fly at you and into you making this horrible sound. At one point, Jesse did throw one on me. I freaked out, about fell backwards over a chair and literally started crying!!

Cicada Invasion of 2008

Last night we went to Jesse's mom's house for dinner for Mother's Day. The kids were estatic because there were caterpillars outside crawling around everywhere. Blech! They asked Grandma for jars to collect them and we came home last night with two pickle jars filled with gross creepy crawly caterpillars. I'm not sure how my own girls came to love insects and worms and things that like, but I do know it sure wasn't from me!!

This is Camryn's jar with about 20+ caterpillars