Butterflies!

Grandma, our butterflies started to hatch today! For Easter, Grandma Gayle got the kids a butterfly habitat. We patiently waited while the larvae grew bigger- it was amazing how much they would grow in just one day! Then we watched them (mostly) all form cocoons. We put them safely into the habitat and left it to hang in the dining room. I glanced up at it today and there were two butterflies drying their wings! We went about our business for an hour or so and came back to find two more. Headed to the store to get them food (flowers with sugar water and orange slices) and came back to find another. Four so far and waiting on four more! They've all been named, so we have Bendaroo (he has something going on with his wings and they're kind of folded over), Orangey (the first to find the orange slices), Matt (the one who won't leave the mat they were 'born' on yet), and Climbey (likes to scale the walls).
FYI, I'm going to start watermarking our blog photos because I have some friends who have found their blog photos in really scary places and I guess you can never be too careful. Sorry if it's in the way.






The last photo is Bendaroo- can you see how his little wing is folded?
We'll get to keep the butterflies for about a week and then we'll set them free. The book we got with the habitat says that butterflies tend to stay close to where you release them, so they might hang out in the backyard. Eddie just might get his butterfly garden this year, so that we can entice them to stay for a while. :)