caterpillar turns into a butterfly

I had my doubts and nervously checked the butterfly pavilion every morning and evening, but late this afternoon the little guy finally emerged. We missed the playgroup's "butterfly release party" earlier in the day (ours was still in the coccoon) so this evening after dinner we released ours into the backyard. He flew to the wood fence and hung out there for awhile before flying off and out of the yard. We wish you well, Cricket!

[Yes, Thomas named him Cricket. It could be worse. Years ago I met a family in our old neighborhood who had a sweet Labrador puppy they let their toddler name... "Soccer Puppy" was an active little guy and his name was yelled loudly and very often at the park.]

Isn't Cricket beautiful? What a fun process to witness. At Target today I saw they have a Butterfly Pavilion kit for $15 in the toy department if you are interested in doing a similar activity with your child. After you purchase the kit, you then mail in a coupon (and $6) for your caterpillars. You'll receive 5 and all the food they'll need. Really kind of fun to do and I know Thomas enjoyed watching it the last week and a half.