The Butterfly Project

The Butterfly Project we started a few weeks ago culminated this afternoon by releasing the little winged creatures into the wild. Well, technically off of our front porch, but 'The Wild' makes for a better story. It seemed simple enough---let the child hold them and then let them fly away into the wild blue yonder. But no, that would be too simple for us, as we must make everything complicated.

Lauren said we couldn't touch them or they'd never be able to fly. Scott agreed with her. I said it was an old wives tale. I consulted Google. The Great Google said that the powdery substance that rubbed off when you held them was their scales, which they shed naturally, and as long as you were gentle and held all four wings at their base they should be fine. Crisis averted.

So, I grabbed the camera and took Madelyn outside. Carlyn did not like this. Carlyn wanted to go out with the butterflies, too. Carlyn proceeded to scream until she was red and rashy and we were all back inside. So, what looks like a very sweet moment between child and nature was actually playing out with a screaming toddler in the background. No wonder they only stayed for a second and then flew like bats out of Hades just as far and fast as those little orange scale covered wings could take them. *

I understand. Some days I feel exactly the same way.

*No butterflies were harmed in the making of this blog post.