HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY ! ! !
It really started Saturday afternoon when Jared and Benjamin came back from their outing. I really do enjoy having our family together! I would much rather have an outing with our whole family than have Jared take the kids for the day while I do something alone (how boring)!
On Saturday, we decided that it was time for us to release our butterflies. Since the Johnsons have a desert landscaped backyard, we decided that it would be better for the butterflies if we let them go in the Combs’ backyard. This whole process was too much fun to only post on our school site, so we decided to share it all with you here!
It was a beautiful day to be outside. We waited ’til all the kids were up from their naps so that we could all enjoy this experience. We’ve had these butterflies from when they were brand new caterpillars. We watched then eat and grow bigger then turn in to crysalids (coccoon) and then hatch into these great monarch butterflies! The kids had a complete BLAST watching the whole process. It was TOTALLYworth the $3.00 it cost to have the caterpillars shipped to our house. I’m still so amazed at this whole process. As a kid, I remember seeing diagrams of how their life cycle worked but to see it first-hand was something completely different. I’m sure we’ll be doing it again in the future!
We caught some of it on video. Sorry, it’s not that steady. I was trying to get a good view and try to keep Joseph from stepping on some of the other butterflies that had already flown out of the habitat.
If you look closely, those are little clementines on the floor of the habitat. All we did was cut them in half and poke them a couple times with a knife. This is a great way to feed butterflies. You have to make sure that you don’t just set out a bowl of sugar water or juice because they will drown in the liquid. If you’re going to do something like that, you should stuff a couple cotton balls or some gauze in the bottom of the container so that it soaks up all the liquid. This will make it so that the butterflies have a place to land and can still access the nectar. Benjamin LOVED feeding the butterflies. They would tickle his arm and land on his hand. It was the best form of entertainment ever!!!
After the last one flew the coop, we watched where it landed- right in Papa’s garden (just like we planned). After watching if for a few minutes you would think that the kids would be done and over it, but not these three! Every time it moved or twitched the kids would be squeaking and shrieking, and in Joseph’s case, clapping for joy!!!
We managed to get one to crawl onto my hand, which I then maneuvered so that it would crawl onto Benjamin’s hand. Emma was thrilled, but kept her distance. She has this thing about flying bugs- in that she doesn’t necessarily like them!
Benjamin was able to walk the butterfly, while still on his finger, over to a couple nice smelling flowers. I really have no idea what they were, but they smelled amazing! We watched as the butterfly probed with its probocist for the nectar from the flowers.
It was the best way to start off Mother’s Day! These are the things that I live for as a mother! I live to see the pure joy that comes from a butterfly taking flight, or the tiny mangled flower that my son has just picked for me, or the sweet, sweet, sweet sound of my children say “I love you, mommy!”
2 Comments
Thursday, May 15, 2008 at 8:09 pm
Wow! I don’t know what to say? That is the coolest, sweetest, funnest, neatest idea I have ever seen! What a fun Mom you are! Your kids are super lucky! Compared to you I am the most boring Mom ever. Not that I’m comparing but you seriously have got some amazing ideas! Thanks for sharing!:)
btw-Where’d you get the kit or caterpillars from and is it too late in the season to start one???
Friday, May 16, 2008 at 9:05 pm
That is so neat. Where did you get them?
Oh and I am so with you on a family outing over alone time. It’s no fun to be alone when you are used to having your kids around 24/7.