Internet: Meet Hungry

I have been pondering buying one of the butterfly kits that I keep seeing around town. You send away for butterfly eggs and get to watch the whole process in a little butterfly mesh tent. Dirtiest Kid in the World loves watching caterpillars outside in the garden and it was on one such occasion that I realized, Duh, I can take one inside and we can watch the whole process without buying a thing.

So we did.

Meet Hungry. My daughter reads him his "favorite book." I don't know- I thought he might like Vonnegut but apparently he is a purist. Eric Carle all the way. My daughter put a soft washcloth over the top to keep him cozy.

We have managed to keep him alive for 4 days and counting. We have lots of caterpillars outside on the rue and parsley. I just cut off some snips of rue, including one this caterpillar was climbing on and put some sticks into a mason jar. I originally put water in the bottom but then read online that they can 1. drown and 2. get all their water from their host plant. I put fresh rue in the jar every day or so. I think I am as excited if not more excited about this project than DKIW is. And she is pretty excited. We upgraded Hungry's mason jar for a huge glass jar and rubber banded some breathable fabric over the top. I read that swallowtails need room to flap their wings after coming out of the cocoon so we will need to clean out the excess leaves when he is getting closer.

Being a parent is the coolest.

"We have eyes, and we're looking at stuff all the time, all day long. And I just think that whatever our eyes touch should be beautiful, tasteful, appealing, and important."

Eric Carle