The butter-by

One thing I have loved about living in Minnesota is the fact that Monarch butterflies are abundant here! I am also glad to have taught because I am now an expert on Monarchs. Part of the 7th grade cirriculum is to raise and release a Monarch. How cool is that! So every summer I have been able to find a caterpillar (or egg) on some milkweed and we watched it grow as a family. My sad ode to the dog we never had continues...

 This little guy (or girl as it turned out to be) was raised from an egg. This was her home! Sarah LOVED watching it crawl along, eating the leaf.

When Sarah's cousin, Lucia was here, she proudly showed off her pet

 Then the blessed day came when we had to say goodbye! Sarah is finally starting to say more words and butter-by is one of her favorites! She says it with that break inbetween - "butter - by." I wish she was more articulate because she loves telling about how the butter-by walked around on Daddy and then flew on Scott's head...

And then flew away! 'Bye bye butter-by!'

'Til next summer when we find one of your descendents to raise.