Catching Caterpillars

Last week we had a 'cold front' move through- it was a high of ONLY 86- and so we loaded up the van with bikes, trikes and soccer balls to play at Robins Field. Once we got there, though, all the kids wanted to do was watch the caterpillars crawling in the grass. I've actually never seen so many caterpillars at once. I don't know if it's caterpillar mating season or something but there were so many crawling around it looked like the grass was moving! I told Sam about when I was little and would keep caterpillars in jars or shoeboxes, and so of course he wanted to do the same thing. We rushed back to the house to get a mason jar and then did some caterpillar catching.

We poked holes in the 'roof' of their new home and gave them sticks to climb and grass to eat. Then we had to name them. We actually caught about 14 but I rounded down to 5 for naming purposes... Sam named his Joy, Rayburn and Elizabeth. Ellie named hers Baby Girl and I named mine Rosie.

Intense fighting over the jar ensued almost immediately so I separated the caterpillar family into two jars, and those stinking jars went everywhere with us... to lunch at Cafe 212 (Sam showed his jar to every single customer, which was awesome cause people love to see bugs in a restaurant), to the store, on our walk, next to the bed for naps. And since there were more than 5 to begin with, Sam keeps discovering new ones- he thinks they are having babies. Ellie just keeps shrieking with delight, "THERE'S BABY GIRL! THERE'S BABY GIRL!"

Epilogue: Baby Girl lost her home to an unfortunate jar-dropped-on-concrete accident. Rayburn, Elizabeth, Joy and Rosie were left in a too hot car. We are obviously unfit caterpillar guardians.