Progress and Butterflies

Even with the damaged finger and the torrential yet random downpours, the deck is really coming up! I have to admit, not only am I excited to have a fabulous deck, but I can't wait for everything else that comes with it. I have chosen not to vacuum much due to constant trackings of you name it coming in and out the door. I should have taken a picture of my floor, but I decided I shouldn't disgust everyone. There's also the issue of Molly. Now that the building of the deck has reached the point where it comes up against the house but it doesn't have a "floor", so to speak, we can't actually let Molly out. We have to leash her and take her in the front yard. Well, the front yard is new and different and she has mad ADHD so of course she forgets to pee or takes 30 minutes to decide where to poop. Add in the rain (which oddly enough she LOVES and whines at the door every time it's pouring) and taking her out becomes a waste of time. Lastly, I can't wait for the deck to be done so that we can get cranking on that disaster of a room in our house with the red wall. I will post pictures of that as it comes along as well. Right now, what was our office/workout room/Molly's room is beyond repair until it's painted. I have SO many plans for that room so things I have purchased on craigslist are piling up in other parts of the house. Needless to say, I won't be inviting you over anytime soon.

Totally changing gears, I witnessed the birth of butterflies today. Well, do you call it birth if they were already born as caterpillars? I should probably know that since I am teaching about it. I could tell you the names of the stages in their life cycle, but I'm unsure about the use of the word birth here. If you know, do tell. Anyway, I bought this kit off the internet where you can literally "raise" butterflies on your own. It's one of the coolest things I have ever done and my students are crazy about it! So anyway, the caterpillars came about 10 days ago and we watched them slowly creep to the top of the tupperware container they came in. Once they creep to the top and go into the chrysalis stage (aka, cocoon) you are supposed to take the lid off the tupperware where you then find this paper thin lining that you oh so carefully pull out. The cocoons are hanging from it and you just as carefully pin the paper to the inside of the "butterfly garden" that comes with the kit. This is basically a long cylindrical "cage" for lack of a better word that is ventilated. You can see it in the pictures below. So, my students go to PE right at the end of the day and we came back from PE with 15 minutes to pack up and get out the door and one of the cocoons burst open and out came a painted lady butterfly. One little girl saw it and literally started squealing. My class is so mild this year so it startled me that she made such a noise until I realized what she had seen. Of course, we all crowded around as the next one emerged from it's cocoon as well. This was one of those moments where I think teachers feel like this is why they teach. I sure did. So we got everyone out the door knowing that the last two cocoons would probably become butterflies sometime tonight. I truly felt like one of the kids. I had no idea how this would go when I bought the kit. These things are risky as I'm sure you can imagine. Now I know to take the risk anyway. Next on the life cycles agenda is growing beans. After that I just may invest in ladybugs or tadpoles...stay tuned. PS - behind the butterfly garden on my bulletin board is a 2nd grade picture of yours truly. I saw another teacher I observed post her picture at the age of the grade level she taught and the kids think it's hysterical. Take a look. I'm sure you will too. I mean could my skirt get any higher?