The Butterfly Experiment

For Christmas Hannah got a butterfly kit from Insect Lore and since the weather is finally warm enough we decided it was time to go ahead and enjoy her gift.  We ordered the caterpillars online and they were shipped to us with-in a week. The caterpillars were super tiny when we first got them but by a week later they were huge!  I failed to get a picture of them when they were itty bitty babies.

The kids (& I) had a ton of fun checking on them everyday and seeing how big they were getting. Then one morning we awoke and found them like this:



They were all hanging from the paper disc at the top of their containers. Some had formed their chrysalises already while some where still in the process of forming their chrysalises. It was all a very fast process. I was hoping to actually see them change but always got to busy or would leave for just a bit and when I cam back it was fully formed. After they formed their chrysalises I carefully moved them to the pop-up butterfly pavilion and pinned the paper disc to the side.



After about 9 days the butterflies started breaking through.  I was so excited I sat there in front of the butterfly pavilion like a little doula waiting for each one to come out. Unfortunately we had a chrysalis fall prematurely so I gently laid it on the bottom of the pavilion. I sat there watching it as it wriggled around trying desperately to come out.  I didn't know how to help it and sadly it didn't make it.  The other 9 are doing just great.  I'm still sad about the one we lost though.



In a few days we will let them go to make it out on their own. It will be a sad but exciting day.  I have learned so much.  Benjamin has also been able to use this process for a project for school.  He has read on butterflies, written a small report and we will include these pictures in it.  His teacher is excited to hear him present everything that he has learned to his class.

 

I'm in awe at the entire process and it only affirms my testimony that only our Heavenly Father could conduct and create such and amazing and fragile experience.