Yes...That's a Real Butterfly!

Every year Grandma sends the kids a butterfly growing kit. Little caterpillars come in a jar that includes their food and after a week or two they form into cocoons right on the lid of the jar. Once all five (or ten in our case) have made their cocoons, you pin the little paper that is on the bottom of the lid, on which they have attached, to the inside of a net enclosed butterfly house. Then after another week or so they hatch and become beautiful monarch butterflies. I believe these particular butterflies only have a life-span of about two weeks so you are supposed to release them after about a week. You certainly would not want to leave them in too long and scar your children for life. So you can imagine we were a little antsy to get our butterflies released when due to the crazy never-know-what-yer-gonna-get Texas weather we'd been having kept us from releasing them earlier. On release day our aging butterflies weren't so energetic to get out of dodge. The other 8 (we lost one in the cocoon stage) figured it out quickly and made their escape, but this little guy seemed content to enjoy his last fling on earth in our presence. Never did I imagine I would be able to capture a picture of a butterfly sitting on my daughter's nose. How cool is that!