Ada's Butterfly Project

We ordered a kit to grow and observe the Butterfly Life Cycle off of Amazon (my favorite place in the world wide web!)- and Ada had a BLAST!  She learned so much, and had such a great time watching the caterpillars become cacoons become butterflies.  Here are a few pictures of the project-

This was after the caterpillars formed their chrysalises.  

We ordered caterpillar "specimens" from a scientific company (which explains the container and bizarre food source)- but I've since learned if you just purchase some milkweed from a garden shop, there are usually caterpillars or larvae already on it, so we plan on doing this again the "natural" way!  :)

After about 8 days, the butterflies begin to emerge!

Things are obviously a little crazy around here lately, so I'm sad to report I didn't get any pictures or videos of Ada releasing her mature butterflies into the wild.  

But it was so sweet and special and adorable and everything cute about her.  One butterfly was born with a gimp wing (but survived and thrived in the cage)- and she was SO worried about it surviving in the wild.  We released him into the mulch in the garden so if he were going to die, he'd at least be comfortable. 

But here are some pictures of her holding butterflies at Moody Gardens this weekend. :)  She was in HEAVEN.  

(We are going to plant a real butterfly garden in our yard as soon as mommy gets a chance and gets herself to the garden store.)

And here are 2 videos I did manage to take of the caterpillars forming their cocoons and Ada's hilarious commentary during the process. :)