Sam's Butterflies

Sam got a butterfly kit for his birthday. Right away we ordered the caterpillars and waited for our bug delivery.

They finally arrived in the mail and Sammy was ecstatic. He was pretty put out when I told him that we couldn't handle the little bugs.

We started with 5 caterpillars. They grew at a rapid pace and then 2 managed to make themselves into perfect little cocoons.

Another caterpillar became a lovely little chrysalis but it fell from the top and I assumed it was dead. The other two caterpillars didn't live to finish their metamorphosis.

Last week 3 butterflies appeared in the kit. It was so exciting! The two that made it to the roof were perfectly formed and beautiful Painted Lady Butterflies.

The one that managed a cocoon but was on the bottom came out looking pretty weak and deformed. We hoped that its wings would straighten out, but it never happened.

Yesterday we released our butterfly friends. The first one took a few crash landings into the grass but soon figured out the ways of flight and took off.

 The second one flew around Sam and I for a few minutes before landing on a bush and taking a little rest. But soon enough, she too disapeared into the woods.

The third, our "special" butterfly, tried her hardest to fly with bent wings, but never made it off the ground. I didn't have the heart to leave her out in wild world, so she is living out her life protected in my enclosed strawberry patch.

We had so much fun we are going to order some more. What a fun way to teach Sammy about metamorphosis!