Butterflies

Eli is a bug boy. He loves bugs. The other day, we were on a walk and he found a rock he wanted to keep, so he asked me to hold it for him until we got home. I told him to put it in his pocket and he replied with,"I can't! It's full of roley-poleys and they'll get squashed!" (He's also a boy who collects all kinds of things in his pockets. I can't go anywhere without him looking for some kind of "treasure" to bring home.

SO it came as no surprise that the first thing he picked from "mom store" this year was a bug box. He's loved collecting and looking at all kinds of bugs. Although, he did get freaked out once when he caught a spider and brought it in the house to show me, but the spider crawled out of the little air slits in his bug box wile he was holding it...he really got the heebie jeebies when that happened. And I had to track down that spider to kill!

One day he came in to show me what he bought in his bug box and I was busy with something, but he was so excited and adamant that I check it out right away....I was amazed! He caught this HUGE beautiful butterfly! I asked him how he did it and he said he just captured it! We put it in our butterfly house because it was too big to keep in his little bug box without getting injured.  Zoey got to release it.

 We had purchased some caterpillars to watch the life cycle from caterpillars to butterflies. It's a favorite thing the kids enjoy. Here's some pictures of the process:

 The day they arrived: little caterpillars and their food...

Just before turning into chrysalides...getting very big!

 Beautiful butterflies! Everyone got a chance to let one go... it's a cool experience for the kids. Not everyone gets to hold a butterfly! It's pretty enchanting.

This one was unrolling it's tongue...very cool for the kids to watch.