Butterflies

It is so nice having my mom as a preschool teacher b/c she often brings us the same project that her kids are working on and let's Bug do it here at home. A few weeks ago she brought us this butterfly cage with five little larva.

Bug cut out these squares out all by herself! I don't have any examples but rest assured her cutting skills are much improved from a few months ago. :)

Step 1: Egg

Step 2: Larva

Step 3: Chrysalis

Step 4: Butterfly

She did some of the coloring and wanted me to do some too. It's hard to say no when she says so sweetly, "You want to work together Ma-ma? It's more fun that way." :)

They came in the larva stage in a jar and we got to watch them crawl up to the lid to start to form their chrysalis. I didn't know that it is only called a cocoon if it is a moth, not a butterfly. So after they all attach to the lid you take it off and tape it to the top of the cage. Then we checked the chrysalis' every day and one day we found an empty one and a butterfly!

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Over the next few days four hatched and the last one partially hatched. I don't know if he is going to make it b/c it seems like he is stuck. I don't know if I should help him or not...anybody have any experience with half in/half out butterflies? Haha:)

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We waited several days to see if the last one would come out but he hasn't so we decided we'd better let the others go find their freedom.

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We took the cage outside yesterday afternoon and Bug said her goodbyes.

We opened the top and they didn't come out, so Bug had to help them along.

One by one they came out. I had no idea they could fly so fast but they were out of there like a shot and there was no looking back. As each one left we tried to see where they were going but they were out of sight in a matter of seconds.

By some miracle I managed to get a picture of the last one. I could see he was starting to make it to the top so I just blindly snapped the camera.

We talked about the butterflies going to make a new home and I asked Bug where she thought they were going. She paused, thinking hard, and said, "I think they are going to Home Depot." "Home Depot??" I questioned. "Yeah, they're going to Home Depot."

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If you see any butterflies at Home Depot you know who they belong to. :)