The Invasion of the Ladybugs

They came not in droves, but slowly, one by one into our home. The first one arrived about a year ago, received excitedly by Ciaran, who loves all things red, and now apparently, red with tiny black spots. It was plump, rubbery and kind of evil-looking, but my boy was delighted and so, we let the creature stay.

He looks menacing but he's harmless

This next specimen was handed over by his Dad as a bribe, one of many items given in such a manner, this time for sitting quietly while getting a haircut. (A cherry-flavored lollipop was also part of the bargain.)

Wind me up and watch me go!

By Christmas, news of Ciaran's insect collection had spread and good old St. Nick delivered a very special bug that lights up and is the perfect companion for little boys who are just a teeny bit afraid of the dark.

The added bonus of lights made this one an instant favorite!

Then, we spent New Year's Eve with a very dear friend, who also decided to add to our infestation  with this fun little guy.

With 8 legs, he really gets around!

By now, a precedent had been set and whenever we'd see any red and black spotted object it would inevitably come home with us. Like these recent inhabitants:

And finally, seeing that we'd become some kind of crazy, red toy insect magnets, the mother of all ladybugs showed up on Ciaran's 4th birthday:

Unfortunately, our runaway cat got really freaked out and peed all over the above giganotosaurus, somewhat  putting a damper on the birthday festivities, so we now keep it in a safe, high and dry locale.

So, what does one do, you ask, when such creatures have overtaken your living space and you can't go three feet without tripping over, kicking or accidentally stepping on a ladybug?

If you can't beat 'em join 'em!