shaggy boys: Growing Up by Dancing Bug

Okay. This is Bug here. It appears everyone else in the band has something to say. True..I am still working on my words..but I can sure THINK a thing or two. So I am here to let you guys know...

I am growing up!

Want proof? Look at me. I am now facing forward in the car-seat!!!

And this is just the beginning. Now? I can dance in my car-seat. Austen tries to wear headphones..but I can just sing and dance on my own, anyway. Why? Because I LOVE TO DANCE. (And Austen? He really does like to sit with me..he just pretends I'm noisy. We have lots of fun together)

But the truth is..Austen plays drums with me.

Actually he plays the drum..he practices his capoeira rhythms...and I sit on the drum. It sounds different when I sit on it. It sounds different when I stand on it too. But then..well..my body just starts moving.

I can't help it. Then I have to stomp my feet..and then..well..what can I say? I'm just made to dance!

Now I'm not a classical dancer..like Camille over at sardinesinacan . Nope ..that's not me. I'm a more fee-style stomper. Especially when the band plays. Like these guys.

Only..I think I need a little more practice. Actually..we all do.

Which reminds me..I'm in this band..and they call me one of the "exploding diaper babies". Can you believe it?! I try not to wear a diaper. I take them off every chance I get!

But MomNom (who everyone else calls Miss Applesauce Pants..I don't know why) thinks I should wear a diaper. I mean really? But MomNom? She's just kinda quirky that way. She has other weird rules for us to. Like..jobs?!! She's killing us here. All of us have jobs.

For instance..Blue Monkey and Black Rat collect chicken eggs and make tea every morning. Why? Because there is a rumor that ice-tea is the house wine of the South. Momnom says we (as in all the parents, Big B aka DadDA's friends, and us band members) go through 3 pictures of tea a day. That is a lotta tea making.

Also? Blue Monkey and Black Rat are supposed to offer tea to anyone who comes over? I try to offer tea. But usually? I just dance with a tea-pot. Because if I hold MY teapot over my mouth..I can make it sound like a trumpet while I dance.

So back to jobs. My job? To feed the deer and to clean tables. I am an excellent table cleaner. You give me a cloth..I will wipe a table. I'm pretty good at sorting laundry too. MomNom hangs them on the fireplace..and I put them back on the chair..where they belong. Sometimes..I just run and put them back in the dryer. I don't know what Momnom would do without me sometimes.

I mean..she doesn't even put my shoes in the dryer when I am not wearing them. I take care of that for her. And speaking of shoes. I have to tell her I need my shoes. Shoose...shoose. I tell her all the time. I mean..without shoes I can't go outside (too many stickers) I bring them to her.

When I bring her my shoes after my nap, Momnom tells me no ..not now. It's too hot.

I don't know what she's talking about. I tell her over and over Shoose..Shoose..'side Keeese..Okay..so I'm working on the P sound..but I say please and everything.

But no..another one of those quirks. We only go outside when it is in the double digits..whatever that means.

(sigh) Which means..I just have to dance some more. I can't help it. Honest.

Last week at community dining, I was so tired. I was rubbing my eyes and trying to finish my food and Uncle Ricci played some music. I couldn't help it..right there in my seat..my body just started moving. I could barely keep my eyes open..but I could dance in my seat. Have I told you I'm a good dancer?

I've been trying to show Blue Monkey and Black Rat that I'm getting bigger. I am learning to climb. I just get a little stuck sometimes, that's all.

But most of all..I can pick my own clothes. Here I am in my FAVORITE Alien shirt. I think I should wear my Alien shirt and nothing else. But, once again, MomNom has other ideas. Back to that diaper thing..

Now I don't know if you know it or not. But my band has been trying to sell worms to buy more instruments. Can you believe they kept the worms in a fishbowl in the laundry room?!. I try to tell them this is wrong.

Shoose..shoose..'side KEESE! I tell them.I even bang on the worms. They just don't listen. So..I have been trying to free the worms whenever I can!

Black Rat thought she was smart and moved the worms on the fire-place mantel. I have been trying to figure out how to rescue them. But I think my problems are solved. You know why? Because yesterday we received a package. Our band got a whole box of instruments from a friend in MA. She wrote a note saying this was for the Rugrats and everything!!!

The band has been discussing sending her the whole worm farm..but there is still a debate going on. Personally? I think we should let the worms go! And maybe..now that we have more drums and stuff? They will let them free. I sure hope so.