Jane went with Pre-school Hannah (yes, we call her that all the time) to Mantua to look for caterpillars. She found 3 and brought them home to keep in quart jars. She brought them some food as well...milkweed plants that we put in the jars every morning. We rarely saw the caterpillars move but we knew they were still alive by the amount of leaves eaten away and the amount of poop littering the bottom of the jars.
Within a few days all the caterpillars had wrapped themselves up for a long fall nap. One stuck to the top of the jar, and the other two found leaves on which to make their home.
We gave one jar to Carson and Natalie, who gave us the heads up that their chrysalis had darkened to the point you could see the butterfly wings, and then had emerged quite soon after that. I checked ours and found that the one on the lid was indeed dark and we could see the wings. I set Katie Anne up with lunch where she could see the chrysalis. I ran downstairs for something and when I came up she was just staring wide eyed at the jar. I glanced and saw the wings emerge the rest of the way. I could not believe how thrilled I felt to witness this tiny and regular event in nature. It felt anything but regular to me.
Within a few days all the caterpillars had wrapped themselves up for a long fall nap. One stuck to the top of the jar, and the other two found leaves on which to make their home.
We gave one jar to Carson and Natalie, who gave us the heads up that their chrysalis had darkened to the point you could see the butterfly wings, and then had emerged quite soon after that. I checked ours and found that the one on the lid was indeed dark and we could see the wings. I set Katie Anne up with lunch where she could see the chrysalis. I ran downstairs for something and when I came up she was just staring wide eyed at the jar. I glanced and saw the wings emerge the rest of the way. I could not believe how thrilled I felt to witness this tiny and regular event in nature. It felt anything but regular to me.
Eventually the wings extended and dripped dry, leaving an orange residue in the bottom of the jar. When the other kids got home from school they too were thrilled. They had fun holding it and letting it crawl all over them. I wasn't as comfortable when it flew into my hair!
We took it outside to let it go. He (?) looked right at home on the flower, and stayed there until the next day. I think he needed his friend.
Sometime in the night this little guy appeared. The kids played with him before school.
We moved the first one into the sun, and added his buddy to a flower near by. They stayed long enough to get their picture taken, then the first one just up and left. Katie Anne and I stood on the porch, waving goodbye and wishing him good luck.
Katie Anne picked up the other one who flew off, then fell to the ground. Oh no! Katie Anne and I went to check on him, and he crawled up on Katie Anne's hand. A minute later he took off and flew across the street and high into the trees where, I'm assuming, he felt more at home than in our Pyrex bowl.
1 comment:
I love this kind of stuff. lucky ducks!
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