Saturday, June 7, 2008

Happy Birthday Fly-Guy!!!

I think that I must have been born to be a teacher. I guess that would explain how we went to the garden center for flowers and ended up coming home with a chrysalis.

Let me start from the beginning. Last weekend, John, Megan, and I went to buy just a few more plants for the backyard. There was a "butterfly lady" there giving lessons to the kids. Megan was enamoured by the little flying creatures! It turned into quite a learning experience. Awesome! I love learning experiences!
We learned that butterflies "taste" with their front feet and really like Gatorade.

Lucky us! We were able to feed the butterflies with a Q-tip.

We observed them in a semi-natural environment.


And bought a chrysalis to take home with us! Megan and I checked it every day after breakfast. I started getting worried it wasn't going to "eclose" because it was taking a little longer than it should.
Today Megan and I went into the laundry room to check the chrysalis (you should hear her pronounce it....so cute) and WE HAD A BEAUTIFUL BUTTERFLY. Megan immediately yelled, "Yea!! You did it!" I asked Megan what we should name him. Her reply was "Fly." I added the "Guy" to the end of it. Happy Birthday Fly-Guy!

Then the comedy really began. I had to go to the store to get him some Gatorade. Since it was 96 degrees and I was feeling lazy, I drove across town to the drive-thru to avoid unbuckling the carseat only to have to buckle her back in a few minutes later. Ridiculous, I know but it was really, really HOT outside. Imagine my surprise when the drive-thru didn't accept my credit card! Can you believe I didn't even have $1.99 in my purse? I have everything else in there!

So........I ended up having to take Megan in with me to buy Fly-Guy some gatorade at a gas station. Megan tried to twist off the cap and drink it right there in the store. The sales clerk looked at me funny when I said, "No Megan. It is for the butterfly." ha, ha. When we got home, I opened up Fly-Guy's little enclosure and tried to give him the Gatorade. He flew right out and crashed into Megan's chest. She was so startled she screamed and started crying. (Nice! Now I have a toddler crying and a butterfly loose in my house.) Lucky for us, he couldn't fly very well and was on the kitchen floor. I ran upstairs to get a Q-Tip (since you shouldn't touch the butterfly). While upstairs, it dawned on me that the dog might try to eat Fly-Guy. I sprinted back downstairs with the Q-tip, wondering how in the world my friends could ever think the life of a stay at home mom is "boring." ha! I was able to calm Megan and rescue Fly-Guy before the dog ate him for lunch.

Tomorrow we will set Fly-Guy free. I hope he doesn't fly TOO far away. I've really grown quite attached to him.


3 comments:

Anonymous said...

You may have been born a teacher, but you're an awesome writer, too. I could just see you getting all that exercise running up and down the stairs!

Love, Ruth

Kate said...

that pesky $5 minimum, huh? I've told the drive-thru peeps that it is against Visa regulation but obviously they aren't getting the hint... REPORT them!!! lol. Want me to go in there for you? haha

Kate said...

Aren't you all educational? You are a great mom! I miss my Maggie Moo!!!! It has been 3 days since I last saw her and it feels like eternity! Maybe tonight she'll tell me she loves me... That kid is gonna put me in therapy :) lol.