Hurry hurry to the fire...

We got to go to our local Fire Station today! It was a lot of fun. Brady says "The Fire Truck is big!" Fireman Dustin showed us all around. We got to see the workout room and the kitchen and the best part of all, the TRUCK BAY!! Brady did get a little scared when Fireman Dustin started up the truck. All was well though. I learned the difference between a fire engine and a fire truck is that a truck has a ladder on top. Thanks Fireman Dustin for showing us the station!

From Then to Now

Some 28 years ago there was a little boy who posed for a camera in a velvet red jumper, turtle neck and knee socks....Now this little boy is doing the same thing!!

One day in September while out on a run, I found this Bright Orange Caterpillar. He gave off quite the scent! it smelled orangy and spicey, like spices.
I did some research and found out it is a Spicebush Caterpillar. Those HUGE shiny black spots are supposed to look like eyes. They are not his eyes.


So I put him in a jar with some sticks and greenery. I read that they like to eat Azalea leaves. Lucky for him we have one out side.

He hung out in the jar for a little while. It took him a couple of hours to get settled. He started attaching himself to a stick.

He made himself a support on each side of his body. He hung out like that for a few days.

He made himself a translucent chrysalis. I got very excited!! My caterpillar would be a butterfly soon!

The chrysalis darkened. It looked like a dead leaf. It took him a week to get like this.

I found him September 4, 2009. I waited and waited and waited. I thought it took caterpillars two weeks to emerge. I was very disappointed when Christmas came around and I still had a dead looking leaf of a chrysalis hanging in my jar.

Two weeks into the new year, I was starting to worry. I was starting to prepare myself to give this thing a dead line. The web site said sometimes they "winter over" in their chrysalis. How long was winter to a caterpillar? I thought about where I would put the contents of the jar. Surely I couldn't throw them away on the off chance that this thing would emerge. Maybe I would just lay it behind the azalea bush...

And then one Sunday as I was getting myself a nice glass of grape juice, I glanced at the jar. Something was different!! I had just looked at it that morning and it was still a dead leaf. Now there was a big black bug with droopy wings in my jar!!

It had be come a butterfly! But it's wings were still limp. That means we just missed the big event. That's okay because the event happened! We put the butterfly back in the jar, after much protest on the butterfly's behalf. Besides, Brady was down for a nap and he needed to see it.

Less then two hours later the wings were fully expanded. I'm not sure they were ready to fly though.

He hung out on my hands for a while. He only tried once to fly.

I was so proud of my little butterfly! He was black with orange and white spots. On the top of his torso he was actually rather hairy.

We showed him to Brady when he woke from his nap. Brady said "The butterfly scare me," and wouldn't get close to it.

We all went for some time out side. It was a relatively sunshiny day. The butterfly just stayed on my hand for a while. Finally I convinced Brady to hold the butterfly. Not two seconds after we made the transfer to Brady's hand did my little butterfly float off. He took a flight over to the fence. I wasn't prepared for him to go. I planned to place him on the azalea bush out front. I went to get him off the fence, but off he went. He landed further down the fence and I couldn't get there due to soggy ground. I watched him as he took off again and floated over the fence. He was gone.

Carl said that's how it is going to be with kids. Before we realize it they are ready to go off on their own. Lucky for us though, because kids have stronger ties to their parents than butterflies. I moped the rested of the day over the suddenness of it all. I was happy that it emerged. Carl and I inspected the remains of the chrysalis. That's a pretty contraption.

Over the next week Brady randomly brought up the butterfly at random moments. He would ask "Where the caterpillar in the jar?" and say, "The butterfly float over the fence." or "The caterpillar changed to butterfly."

Here's a song from Rachel Coleman. I've inserted my own lyrics to fit Mr. Spicebush. I really love it:

Caterpillar Dreams

I’m a little CATERPILLAR tiny and green [orange and fat]
Crawlin’ around head full of dreams [I crawl around just like that]
Inch by inch takes all day
I’m dreamin’ of wings and flyin’ away
Just a little CATERPILLAR down on the ground
I climb a tree hang upside down
I don’t know why I build a cocoon
Not sure why I do what I do
But if I were a BUTTERFLY
I could leave the ground behind
Would things look different way up high?
I wish I were a BUTTERFLY
I’m just a little CATERPILLAR fast asleep
Eyes closed tight lost in a dream
In my dream I break free
Stretch out my legs and check out my wings
I feel just like a BUTTERFLY
Watch me leave the ground behind
Things look different way up high
I feel just like a BUTTERFLY
Look at me I’m flying!
I’m really flying!
Somebody pinch me!

Watch a video of it here:

A few random Brady pictures.

His yellow glasses. Yes, they belong to Mr. Potato Head. But don't tell Brady that! He put them on like that one day without any assistance. We just busted up!

Improvised football helmet.

Wearing goggles at his cousin's swim party. He didn't want to take them off!

Christmas Morning 2009

We had a great Christmas! Carl scored with a beef stick, sunglasses, a new shirt and his personal favorite, new underwear! I received a spa set, violin book, new pants, book about toddlers and more. Brady got lots of new toys and two new Signing Time DVDs (including the sports one that he asks to watch at least once a day.) Santa also brought us a surprise new TV. I think he shopped on Black Friday and got an irresistible deal. We headed over to the LaVetters after opening gifts at home. They had us for the family gift this year. Brady got a fun car and we got some fun games. My favorite part was being with family.

Smarty Pants

Carl: (to stephanie) I'm not sure I got the lid [of the sippy cup] closed all the way.

Brady: (after taking a good long swig) No, Daddy, you closed it.

His brain is working.

Hanehyouyah

Conducting and performing Handel's Messiah and tire one out.

Christmas Cookies

We made some cookies this year. I probably wouldn't have done it if Carl didn't suggest it. I'm glad we did though because they were delicious.

Oh I'm so far behind!!!

Carl's mom came to our neck of the woods earlier this month. Oh, I mean, last month. She was able to be here for Tyrza's baptism. She also did some Christmas celebrating with us. This year we got a wonderful book called "The Quiltmaker's Gift." Our ornament was a handcrafted little square quilt with a heart and our first initial on it. I really enjoyed this book. I even more enjoyed the ornament. It's something that I will be able to look back on and tell Brady "Your grandma made that special for you."

Carl has collected quite a few ornaments over the years as this has been a tradition in his family. Some of them are fancy and store bought; some of them are clever; others are handcrafted and unique; some are memories of a little boy who made the ornament himself, like an old fashioned clothes pin painted blue (or red?) with wire around the top for a hook. I've also made a contribution from my childhood. Well, I think my mom made them. I have little pillows with teddy bears printed on the fabric to put on the tree.

I don't think our Christmas tree will ever be co-ordinated or themed. I like the hodge-podge look of various ornaments. It's a tree full of memories, a tree of love. It will never look the same year after year. The ornaments get put in new spots and new ones are added each year. I hope my kids learn to enjoy this type of tree. If not, I will probably indulge their fancies to an extent until the tree is under parental control again.

I had a picture in mind when I started this post:

Brady and Grandma took some time to stop and smell the flowers.

While we were at the library Santa stopped by for a visit.

What just happened?

Scene: 9:05 p.m. on a Wenesday night. Brady has been in bed for 1/2 an hour. Carl is watching TV and Stephanie is chatting on the computer.

Brady's Door: Creeeek

Carl and Stephanie look at each other to make sure they both heard the door. They await the emergence of a short-little bobble headed child. Stephanie goes to see what is happening. She and Brady meet in the hall. Brady holds up a lotion bottle emptied earlier that evening.

Brady: "Say Thank you, you're welcome." Signs "thank you" then heads back to bed. Looking back as he gets in.

Stephanie: Look flabbergasted at what has just happened.

Carl: "Has he been awake this whole time? Or is he sleep-walking?"

Stephanie: Still look flabbergasted as she tries to process the whole thing.