Beautiful Flutterbys

We had five little visitors appear at our house round about the time of Sarah's birthday. They were VERY little - four were only 0.5cm in length and one was only 0.3cm long! A very dear friend had sent a wonderful birthday gift to Rebekah to share with her family - a butterfly habitat with a gift certificate for five little Painted Lady caterpillars.

So our caterpillars arrived safely just over a month ago, and we put them out of the sunlight, and out of easy reach of Peter, but right where we could see them and watch them grow. They grew really fast, the smallest keeping just a little bit behind the others in size. Before very long it was clear that our littlest friend wasn't going to grow any more though. It didn't get much bigger than the others had been in the first place. The other four grew hairy backs, and markings, and changed colour gradually, and got very big ... and long ... and fat. They spun silk webs, and climbed to the top of their pot and dangled down, and went all over the place. Then when they were ready, which was only about 9 or 10 days after they had arrived if I remember correctly, they climbed up to the top of their pot and stayed right there, hanging in a very still J shape.

All of a sudden it seemed they were covered in a leaf-like covering - their chrysalis. I caught the last one (while Peter was eating his birthday tea with Gramps and his sisters, and I was on the telephone), wiggling constantly backwards and forwards. I had a closer look, and saw it was spinning its chrysalis around its body, working from the bottom up. I couldn't show the children immediately, and by the time I could tell them it had finished - it was really quick!

Then we had a week of watching for signs of life, while the caterpillars did a quick transformation inside. I really liked that stage because each chrysalis developed some spots down it that were completely golden in colour; they even had the gleem of gold. It was at this point that the caterpillars had to be transferred from their little pot to their hatching habitat.



Then Saturday morning of last week, after everyone was up and ready for the day, and we'd had our devotional, one of the girls said "Isn't that a butterfly in there? It must have hatched from its chrysalis while we were in the room, but we hadn't noticed. From that point on all available eyes were on the hatching butterflies. They were so quick coming out though that while watching another butterfly for only seconds it was possible to miss all of the action! Of course the camera was being temperamental, so not many photos, which is a shame.

We never fully saw them hatch, but did see one immediately as it had done, all curled up with squished, wings. After hatching they each walked to somewhere they could hold on easily, and pumped up their wings. They apparently pump blood into the blood vessels in their wings, which lets them spread out to full size, and then once the wings are hard enough they are able to fly. It was interesting to watch them flapping their wings and seeing a bit of a change. They were still pretty still for a while, and weren't flying around properly until the next day.



We collected some leaves and foliage from the garden to go in the bottom of the habitat, and then we had to go and ask a neighbour over the road for some sugar to make up some sugar water to feed to the butterflies (we had none in our house, as we don't use it anymore - I hadn't thought of that!) Rachael, our neighbour, was so excited and came over to see the butterflies for herself. After putting some sugar water in the flowers and some orange halves inside for the butterflies, we ended up taking them over to her house, and she and I watched the butterflies for a good while while the children enjoyed playing in her garden and with the toys she gets for when her granchildren come. Peter even came home with a little Winnie the Pooh ride-on toy that she was going to give away as her grandaughter never used it (he wouldn't leave it alone while there and was amazed when it was allowed to come home with him.)

While we were at Rachael's house, we were sat in a lovely bit of sun and the butterflies kept opening their wings wide. They did that each time they were in bright sun over the few days we had them. The one esoecially was sat on an orange half and looked just beautiful with its orange-patterned wings (I love colour - can you tell?!)
I kept wanting to go and get our camera, but never did, and I never did manage to get a photograph of that, but what a fantastic sight!



We enjoyed watching the butterflies feeding, identifying their body parts at close range without frightening them away, and taking in their beautiful markings. It wasn't until later on that I saw quite how beautiful the back of their wings are (when they're folded up) They had a beautiful silky sheen to them. Oh, and I loved how furry the butterflies were on the front and back of their bodies - so soft looking.



So they hatched on the Saturday, Michael got to be amazed and enjoy them for a while on Sunday afternoon while he was at home from his course, and then Monday afternoon we went to let them go. We took them to the bottom of our garden, and unzipped the lid of the habitat they had lived in so far. They didn't go anywhere for a couple of minutes, despite two of them already being right up at the top. Then it started to thunder, so we brought them back inside, just in time before it started to totally pour with rain. Glad we didn't release them then.



The next afternoon we let them go, in the same spot. The first two took less than thirty seconds before they were gone, and flying straight up high into the sky togther. The second took a couple more minutes, which let us observe the last two for a while with no netting or plastic lid in the way, which was lovely. It then flew out, but landed on the flowers just next to it for a short while before flying off in another direction. It was strange to see them suddenly just be gone.



The last butterfly just didn't want to go anywhere, and so for about forty minutes we got to spend some close time with this lovely little creature. Rebekah and Sarah fed it some more sugar water, and it had a good long feed there and on the banana and orange halves.




Then Hannah picked it up out of the net and everyone got a chance to hold it up close and have a good look. Hannah hadn't been nervous at all throughout. The others were, including myself a bit at first, but Hannah frequently went and put her hand inside the net to be with the butterflies. So when the butterfly decided to walk from the fruit she was holding onto her hand, and walk around but never want to go elsewhere, she was thrilled! The battery on the video camera had given out by this time, and I just didn't want to leave watching the butterfly to sort that out. We enjoyed it more first hand without the camera, and I drew a few sketches of the butterfly as Hannah held it in my nature book, which Hannah will get a copy of for her journal. It wandered around a fair bit though, so was always at different angles. We could see a proper face there, and could clearly see from the front where the probiscis is rolled up at the front (it unrolls for them to drink through - you can see it the photo of the butterfly drinking from the orange).




When it finally did fly away, you could tell it was about to go, and instead of just flying away it went round and round the climbing frame that we were right next to, and then up into the leaves of the tree above us, and then on from there after a while. Peter still tells me about the butterflies in the gerden going up high in the sky, so he must think about them. He had called the caterpillars "pillars" the whole time, keeping on wanting to look at them, and was a bit puzzled I think to start with when they weren't anymore. He liked the butterflies too though.

I'm glad we all got to see the stages first hand. Now the children just know what happens, and we have experienced a little of the beauty and wonder of creation instead of just learning about it. What a great gift it has been. Sarah says she'd like to do that again next year, for her birthday. Hannah was comparing her experience of holding the butterfly and having it explore her hand while she got to see it up close, to how excited she was about being baptised a few weeks ago. Apparently this experience is right up there behind her baptism as her most special experiences. She's a proper not-so-little nature-lover. :o)

Where to?

Well Deb, don't worry because you are only in the dark about as much as half of the people in our ward. The other half have been finding out for the past year that we are going to be moving. Michael got a place at the University of Sussex last year to study Ecology and Conservation there. We had looked at it three years before that and felt totally right about that particular uni. He was told two years before he got the place that he just needed some recent study to be accepted onto the course - either their foundation course, which we couldn't see working as it was on a campus elsewhere, or a Biology A-level, which he completed last year. When offered the place, he deferred it for a year, which has given us the time we have needed in many ways, not least to continue to address my health.

So now the year is nearly up, and he will begin fresher's week on 29th September down in Brighton, and I guess it would be good if we were down there by then!

We are looking at places to rent down there,and will be able to do that properly after his plumbing course has finished up in Leeds (he is there Monday to Saturday right now and home just for Sundays) so that we can go and take a look at the area. So somehow or other, we will be living near the south coast before long! I have only just thought this week of the accent Peter might all too easily pick up !! Oh well! With enough family around maybe we can avoid it. :oD

I have no details, but will let you know what is going on when I do myself. :o)

I felt recently actually that I should leave the blogging alone for a while and focus on that, and on managing to record these things in my journal first and foremost (they don't often make it there, and a lot of the more personal stuff gets lost from my poor memory along the way). I haven't partly because of birthdays having happened, and partly because it is contact, at least with the one person who regularly looks (thanks Deb :o)!)

If I disappear from view for a while though you'll know why. I've got to get focused!

Peter's party time.

Well, Tuesday of last week was Peter's little birthday party. I've never had a birthday party for younger than age 3 (minimum), but Peter doesn't get the chance to play with other children his age very often and I thought it would be fun for him, and nice for us to see a few people as well. Plus with Daddy not being around all week it was a nice thing to do. When I told Sarah who was coming she was shocked at how many people (how many people too little for her to play with I think was the thought!) There were six adults each with one or two children, plus me and my five children. It was a blessing that it was good weather as we fitted just fine out in the garden, but would have been sitting on top of each other or spread around the house probably pulling it to pieces if we'd had to be inside. We have had a lot of rain, so it really was a blessing to have a warm, sunny, DRY day.

We had no party games at all - they're all too little to make that fun. I even forgot to get out the bubbles I had ready, which I think they would have all enjoyed. Just some lunch and space and some toys to play with outside. Plus each other of course. It was enough. Peter was asleep when half the people came, which was a bit of a shame as I think he would have loved to see people arrive and would likely get all excited. He desperately needed the sleep though after not sleeping much the day before being out with Gramps. So he was a bit quiet and surprised when he woke up and there were already children running about the garden. He took in the balloons and streamers (that were hung along the washing line down the length of the garden) while we sat and ate though, and seemed quite excited by them. He kept pointing them out to me. He was excited by his presents as well - he got very good last week at tearing both wrapping paper and envelopes to pieces. No opening an envelope - you have to pull it apart! He was especially taken by a little car transporter and four little cars that Morgan and Mikey gave to him. His "lorry", or rather "wowwy" gets played with every day.





The balls were definitely a big hit, and don't they make the garden look pretty?!




Peter was very sad when people had to go. Especially when "Big Rachael" and Elijah had to go and get Edan from school. He is always very sad to say goodbye to Elijah, and really wanted to go with him. He asked for me to get his pushchair out too, so he could join Elijah in wherever he was going. We were all pretty tired too.



It had been a very warm day, and we wouldn't usually be out that long in the sun on such a warm day. I certainly felt it the next day on Peter's actual 2nd birthday. I just was exhausted all day, and found it hard to celebrate really, but Peter enjoyed playing in the bath in the morning. That was after he enjoyed a lovely time sitting on my lap reading stories while I gave him a badly needed haircut - Hannah the expert distractor through play and reading stories in a fun way was my helper again! She made it such a lovely time for Peter while he sat on my lap and I cut his hair from behind, that he literally didn't know it had happened! When he saw the hair afterwards he was adamant it was Hannah's hair, as she'd had hers cut the previous week and had saved some for her journal. :o)

After that he enjoyed a day of playing, eating some of his favourite foods, opening some presents from us and family and enjoyed a proper nap too.





Then he was very happy that Gramps came to eat tea with him. The girls put on a short acrobatic show for him on the climbing frame a little while after he got there, and were also very happy to have Gramps here again. Gramps enjoyed the balls a little too - he turned his walking stick upside down and it made a perfect golf club!






Peter did enjoy celebrating his birthday, and loved joining in singing with us as he always does. He sang to himself just as happily. He loved having candles to blow out too and did a great job of that. He had a fruit car for his party "cake" and just a mountain of his favourite fruits on his birthday.



He acts a little bigger every day in some ways. Michael certainly thought so when he came back. He had been enjoying hearing Peter chattering away and playing, and confidently talking in little phrases on the phone, and being here on Sunday I think he enjoyed him just as much in person, and seemed constantly amazed at how much he seemed to have grown and matured in just a week.

That ends birthday season for us. So life is back to normal I suppose, whatever normal may be!

My Dad's special birthday

My Dad's 60th birthday was at the beginning of this week. We went to a park in Solihull we like (same place as Sarah's birthday but the other end) and had a picnic in a beautiful bit of very light rain with Rebekah and Sarah (a bit) complaining that they needed to eat in the car. Peter was happy to have his Bob the builder raincoat on (putting a "Bob coat" on is a privilege rather than a chore!), and Sarah and Rebekah were satisfied once Gramps was holding an umbrella for them!








We had a lovely walk by the lake there and around the nature reserve that we like to go to. The girls all wanted to draw a few things in their nature books. Rebekah was especially excited to, which was very sweet, as are the pictures of her sitting on her own drawing in her book. Dad spotted a heron way up in a tree across the pool there, which disappeared its head for a while to have a doze while we were watching. The children enjoyed the playground for a while while Dad recovered from having forgotten to take his walking stick with him. Poor Dad was very tired and in quite a lot of pain I think, but it was still lovely to spend the day together doing lovely but normal things, and laughing a lot.
















Sweet Peter was so tired as he hadn't had a sleep that he fell asleep straight away on the way home. He didn't even wake up as we carried him into the house in his car seat.



Happy birthday to my special Dad.

Hannah is 8

On Hannah's 8th birthday we had a quiet day at home. She enjoyed her cards and presents, including her new blue set of scriptures. A lot of church type presents, but a few fun things as well. Hannah chose some simple things she wanted to do through the day and had quite a grown-up birthday really - just doing what she felt like doing through the day without properly celebrating it!

On Sunday was her baptism after church, which was lovely. Quite a few people weren't able to be there, but it was lovely to have as many of her family there as possible, and some people from the ward that she had invited. She was very excited and so was I. I was like a little girl jumping up and down with excitement. I can't really describe the feeling when she was baptised, but it was really wonderful. We all had a part to play in the baptism service, and we enjoyed singing When I Am Baptised as a family, with Hannah singing the second verse on her own. I'll let the pictures tell how happy an ocassion it was for all of us who were there.

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We had a wonderful day, but after being at church for eight hours, and getting home at nearly the children's bedtime, only to need to cook and eat a proper meal, we were all exhausted, and most of us also felt extremely achy. As we have family home evenings in a Sunday afternoon again for Michael to be there, and knowing he would be away again for the following six days on his plumbing course, we knew we had to do something anyway, besides collapse on the settee (which several of us had already done). So we had a short family home evening that met our needs and helped us feel really good again - a foot soaking and journal writing for the day family home evening! We all had a go soaking our feet in wonderfully warm water with some essential oils added in, which did the trick after about ten minutes in helping us feel able to eat tea and go to bed. We didn't all manage to write our journals, but we made a start at least. Here we are looking a whole lot happier after having soaked for a while, and Hannah writing for the first time in her new special birthday journal.