Messy-Gooey

J helped me replant my tomato plants-all 18 of them-this afternoon while L napped. Almost immediately upon starting my re-do, I noticed a ladybug on one of the tomato plants, which I pointed out to J.

He was most interested and we discussed the color, the fact that ladybugs don't sting or bite, and that we can touch them if we are gentle so we don't hurt them. Within 9 seconds, he had learned everything he wanted to know about ladybugs and moved on to tomato cage fighting. (In case you're like me and have never heard of tomato cage fighting until today, here's the run down. J puts his body through one cage with the prongs pointing out in front of him and rams anything in his path; dirt, other tomato cages, trees, the burn pile, and almost the dogs.)

A while later he took a break from tomato cage fighting and came back into the garden sans the cage. As it happened, I'd just spotted another little insect that was bright orange with black specs, about the size of a ladybug.

Me: "Jack, look at this little bug."
J: "What is it, Momma? Is it a ladybug?"
Me: "No, it's not."
J: "Can I touch it?"
Me: "Sure, but be very gentle."

I then turned and continued replanting.

J: "Eeeeewww. Messy gooey. Messy gooey. Messy gooey!" Wiping his fingers on his shorts, he gets more and more upset.
Me: "What's wrong?"
J: "Messy gooey, messy gooey." Now touching his fingers to one another, the bright orange (yes, with black specs) goo stringing from one finger to the other.

Hoping against all odds to see the little guy, I turn to the leaf where he'd been spotted seconds earlier. Oops.

J never did tell me what happened, I mean, exactly. You and I both know what happened.