Goodbye Beautiful Butterflies

Ella decided to release her butterflies today.

 She was very grown up about it.
She said it was such a beautiful day today.  

It was a perfect day for them to search for a new home. 

(Or, maybe this has something to do with the fact that when we were at the pet store buying cat food yesterday,
she was begging me for a hamster.)

Strangely enough they didn't leave right away like I though they would.
They seemed almost reluctant to go.
She fed them and showed them some dandelions
and told them to enjoy the sunshine.
She told them to come visit anytime.

The Very Grouchy Ladybug

Ella's teacher sends home these little bag buddies.  A tote bag with a stuffed animal of some kind and a book.  In the past we have had Sammy the snowman and Chomper the Dinosaur.  Our most recent visitor was Lucy the Ladybug.  She came with Eric Carle's Book:  The Very Grouchy Ladybug.  While they are with us, we are supposed to document what they did during their stay with us.  The kids can either draw something or we can take photos.

Ella just loves these bag buddies.  Sometimes she doesn't want to send them back!

 Riding home in the car

Shopping at Sam's Club

Sharing a Happy Meal

A ride in the wagon

With her friend The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

New interest in the butterflies!

This morning, I set the butterflies within their habitat, on the kitchen table so that I could replenish their food.  The phone rang so I left them there for a minute.  When I came back I found the butterflies had a new admirer..........

Our kitty Sarafina found them most interesting!

Butterfly Update

As of yesterday, all four caterpillars that made Chrysalides have transformed into beautiful butterflies.  Ella and I actually happened to catch one emerging.  I was soo transfixed, I forgot to grab my camera.

 Here they are feasting on some carnations dipped in sugar water and orange slices.  Grandma Clara thinks the food service is so good they won't want to leave!

Ella preparing their food.  Notice another critter in this picture?  

Eric Carles Very Grouchy Ladybug is helping.

The butterflies are a beautiful orange color.  Ella loves it when they spread their wings.

 

Meanwhile this guy is still hanging out in the cup.  I guess he hasn't heard that the food is much better over at the other place.  But maybe he likes having his pad all to himself.

This has been a really fun experience for Ella, and I have to admit I am enjoying it a lot too.  It's not only been fun to watch the transformation but educational too.  My four year old can now say the word "proboscis"  We read a book about butterflies before bed last night and she was fascinated that butterflies can use camouflage.  She has informed us that next she would like a ladybug lodge or an ant hill.

Then........... and Now!

 

Chris, Riley and myself in front of the Seattle Washington Temple.  

Riley is 3 months old.

 

Fast forward 12 years.  

Here we are in front of the St Louis, Missouri Temple.

Can my baby boy really be 12 years old already?  

He's almost as tall as I am.

Ha!  I guess all three of us look a little different!

Proud Little Mama

Little Ella loves Bugs.  In fact she loves all kinds of little critters.  Little Pet Shop friends.  Squinkies.  Little trinkets.  Just little things she can carry around.

Anyway, she loves bugs.  Don't ask me where she got this from.  Definitely not from me.  I detest bugs.  Maybe from my dad?  If he finds a bug in the house he will catch it and release it outside.  I will kill it so it can't find it's way back into my house.  Or, if I'm too afraid to get close to it, spray it with the can of starch.  (Hey, I was ironing in the basement and that's all I had and I didn't want it to get away.)

Back to Ella.  She loves bugs of all sorts so I bought her this little butterfly house.   We had to send in a card and they sent five caterpillars in a little plastic cup with some food.

Day One

 Day Three

Four of the five caterpillars ate a lot and grew quite quickly.  We were surprised every time we looked at them at how big they were getting.  One of them was the runt of the group and was really small.  We were half expecting one of the other ones to eat him.  (Are caterpillars cannibalistic?)

Finally four of them climbed up to the lid of the cup and made a chrysalis.  So we moved them to the butterfly house.  We left the little runt behind in the cup.  He is there right now as I write this, growing quite big.

This is the butterfly house hanging in the girls room.

Two of the Chrysalides

So four Chrysalides have been hanging out in this butterfly house for quite a while now.  I was starting to wonder if maybe they had died.  Everyday Ella would ask me "When are they going to turn into butterfly's?"  "Soon dear!"   At least that's what I kept hoping.  Today I was in the girls room, putting something away and I heard a tiny fluttering noise.  I glanced in the direction of the butterfly house and there were two butterfly's!!  I called for Ella who of course took her sweet time responding.  She finally came in and when she realized what had happened she was soo excited.  She called her grandma Clara and asked me to call her dad at work.  She even showed Grandy (our dear friend and neighbor)

Ella likes to point out that the butterflies are plain when their wings are closed but very pretty when they are open.  They are Painted Lady butterflies. 

She is now anxiously watching the other two chrysalides hoping to catch them opening up.  And of course the other guy is still in the cup all by himself.  But hey, at least he didn't get eaten right?