Metamorphosis

On the day they arrived, the caterpillars were so small, you had to look closely in order to see them. They didn't do anything except sit there -- perhaps from the trauma of traveling via FedEx from California.
By Day 3, the caterpillars had grown a lot, were busy exploring the small jar they call home now, and eating quite a bit.
By the morning of Day 6, one caterpillar had attached himself to the paper disk on the inside of the lid of the jar, was hanging upside down,very still, intent on beginning the process of changing. How exciting! I told Delaney, "Not even Mama can pick up the jar today. The caterpillars have to be left alone." Other caterpillars roamed around the lid of the jar, ostensibly looking for a spot to build a chrysalis.

By Day 8, all of them had formed chrysalides, and were ready for transfer to the hatching habitat. We're not sure what all that yucky stuff is, but it's probably poop.

With surgical skill, Tim and I transferred the chrysalides to their hatching habitat. Sorry it's a bad picture, but it's hard to take a picture of something that's behind mesh.

On the morning of Day 16, we saw this guy.
On the afternoon of Day 17, the second and third butterflies hatched in quick succession. The fourth hatched that evening.

I got somewhat better pictures when I turned the habitat around. The wadded paper towels at the bottom are soaked in sugar water for the butterflies to drink. Dropping them in is a task that Delaney enjoyed. Below is a butterfly eating with its proboscus.
And here is butterfly release day! Delaney was very hands-on with this. I was relieved she didn't smash the poor things.

At last!

Our long-anticipated caterpillars have arrived. Delaney has known they were coming for a couple weeks now. Tim's cousin Sindi sent them. They were the party favors for Autumn and Amber's birthday party that we missed. (Thank you Sindi, Autumn and Amber.) I expected they would come by mail, and every time I stopped at the mailbox, Delaney would ask about the caterpillars. I would say, "Not yet, maybe tomorrow." Meanwhile, I gave her pictures of butterflies to color, and a diagram of the butterfly life cycle. I tried to explain it in terms a two-year-old can understand. I don't know if she can understand, but she sure seems to be thinking about it pretty hard.

The caterpillars will stay in the jar, and grow, eating only the special food in the jar. Then they will form chrysalides near the top of the jar, at which time we'll transfer them to the included butterfly pavilion. Then they will hatch, and we'll look at them for a couple days, then set them free. The directions said we should expect to see butterflies in about three weeks.

They arrived by FedEx, and when I told her, "The caterpillars are here!" she came running, and sat down at the kitchen table. "Mama, scissors!" "Mama, open the box!"

I don't know if they were quite what she expected to see, but they were a bright spot in an otherwise difficult morning.

Delaney tries to open the jar. What's the point of caterpillars that I can't smush in my little fingers? she wonders.


Now here's something I can smush in my fingers!

I promised that the packing stuff and the box will still be around for her to play with after her nap.