Backyard bugs and bee stings

Henry is totally innamored with bugs. These tiny baby ants have found their way into our house to feed on anything Henry throws on the ground and even though I would usually not welcome them in, they entertain Henry to no end. He is turning into a drama king and everything for him is so exciting and he lets you know it by yelling out, smiling, dancing, and saying "woh!" He is not afraid of any bug, which I taught him, however he's also not afraid to pick up spiders and bees. He hasn't gotten a spider bite, but he's been stung a couple times, once from trying to pick one up while we were picking raspberries an hour away from home and once from a yellow jacket on the corner of his mouth out on our deck. They are constantly trying to build hives on our deck. He gets over it quickly, though, because he's a tough little guy. The other day Henry played with a tiny grasshopper for at least 5 minutes and was so gentile with it. I was impressed with how he didn't try to kill it. The next day, he found a millipede on our front steps and so he picked it up, but right away he pulled it apart, killing it. Then, we went exploring down our hill and I found this beautiful katydid and was excited to show it to Hen. He held it by it's hind legs so it wouldn't jump away, then tore it's head off! Just like that. I was so shocked! I guess he's getting more curious these days. I can't blame him because he sees me squishing the Japanese beetles attacking my raspberry plants all day long.

Which brings me to another topic of copying everything I do. Henry is really good at doing that now. He can even copy words as well as pretty much every gesture I do. He loves for me to make funny faces and move my head in funny ways so he can copy me. Just today in the tub I tried to teach him the colors red, yellow, and blue in word and in sign with his little stacking boats and he vocalized all three colors as well as signed yellow, and red. I don't think he sees how to do blue because it looks just like I'm waving with my thumb tucked in, which I'm sure looks just like waving to him. He knows over 50 signs now and learning about one per day. He says many words now and surprises me with sweet kisses and I love yous while I'm singing to him before bedtime.