Catching A Caterpillar..?

When the weather is nice we walk to Vada's speech therapy sessions. Yesterday was beautiful, so we walked. After therapy we took the long way home and two blocks from being home, there on the sidewalk I saw what looked like a caterpillar crossing the sidewalk. I grabbed a stick and put it in front of the caterpillar to see if it would crawl onto it, it did. So I carried it home. 

Kiliegh, my middle daughter, is turning ten this month and for her birthday we ordered Monarch caterpillars (which I am now extremely nervous about raising), so we have the habitat hanging on our deck awaiting their arrival. When Vada and I got home from our walk I placed the caterpillar that I had found from our walk along with some milkweed (just in case) two caps full of water (Apparently a mistake on my part.), one with some sugar added (I don't know why, but it seemed like a logical idea at the time.).

Later while Vada was taking a nap I got on line and tried to find my "caterpillar". The closest thing I found was a Tent caterpillar but I knew that this couldn't have been correct because my little guy wasn't furry like the Tent was. I did learn that with caterpillars, you don't need to give them water because they get their hydration from the leaves that they eat. Good to know. I also learned what our Monarch caterpillars would look like. I have seen them before but never put them together because up until now, I didn't need to. Interesting.

Today, I did some more searching and found out that I probably didn't catch a caterpillar but a worm. A Bag Worm to be more specific (scroll half way down on linked page to read a little about a bag worm) and one who happens to be living safely and ever so splendidly on sugar water, cherries, milkweed, nectar from freshly cut flowers and water. I have no idea if it's actually eating any of this stuff but it is still alive. Now i'm not for sure what to do!

'C' is for Coffee Filters

We didn't do many crafts these last two weeks or even with this letter (letter C), so this Saturday Vada and I got out the coffee filters and began to color on them, with caterpillars and a little metamorphosis on the mind.

After Vada seemed to become bored of coloring I got out the water so that she splash some onto the filters. 

 The filters absorb the water and makes a tie dyed look with marker colors.

Today, before we started our new letter of the week, letter 'D', Vada and I turned our tie dyed coffee filters into butterflies. Just like a caterpillar going through a metamorphosis we had to wait for a (or in this case to make a) "change".

Vada knew exactly what we had made before I even said a thing and began signing 'butterfly'.

For those of you wondering on how Vada's solar energy paper craft turned out the other day here it is. We also had to wait for it to dry.

Our Gift

Truthfully, I have no idea or explanation as to why I chose to do what I did. Origami. Butterflies. A Mobile. Why would anyone think to put them together and for a birthday gift, let alone a first birthday gift. It's weird..., I know, but I like it!

My sister in-law made origami snow flake Christmas cards this last year. That was a pretty cool idea. I was impressed. Maybe she somehow inspired me?

Justin's cousin bought a really neat mobile that you clip pictures onto, but that was well over two years ago. This could have been where I got some of my inspiration?

Regardless of when and where I became inspired, something triggered my creative side. I have always liked butterflies and one day recently I decided to try origami stars. Once I saw how good the finished product looked I began experimenting with different types of origami butterflies. After finding a pattern that I really liked, I thought it would be pretty to have them floating around Vada in a picture, so i began to make multiple butterflies. Once I had several made I really liked all of the color that I was seeing, so I decided to make a rainbow of butterflies.

After having about twenty butterflies made I decided that making a mobile would be the simplest way to get the butterflies "flying" above Vada. I asked my sweet, sweet husband if he would cut me a piece of wood for the top and I began drawing out my ideas for the mobile. What he made was something above and beyond what I asked for! It really helped make the mobile "artsy" as I had intended it to be.

I knew that I wanted something to hang from the ends of the wires, but I was not for sure as to what. Originally, I had planned on doing polished stones/gems. Once I got to the art store and found that my idea was going to cost me around $13.00 per strand I quickly declined and decided that I would need to rethink my original plan over and find something new.

What I found was perfect! In fact, it was better than what I had planned for in the beginning.

What was intended for jewelry making I used for my little weights at the ends of each strand. Each charm had it's own specific word on it and kind of matched up with the color of the butterflies on that specific sting. Wisdom, Hope, Faith, Love and Believe.


I had decided that the center of the mobile needed a little something more than it's surrounding lines of fluttering friends. I found medals that were also engraved with its own unique word. My final touch was to add the charm with the angel wings. Very fitting. Together, I felt as if Justin and I had made the perfect gift to give to our Birthday Girl.


I forgot about this special charm. I just realized it today (3/7/11) while I was negotiating Vada eating dinner. We still have the mobile floating above her high chair. I look at it often as I try to figure out what to do with it now. Tonight was the first time that the angel charm floated by. It was like it was just asking to be announced. So, I am sharing this lonely forgotten charm now.

Just a Peek

I can not believe that Vada is about to be one year old! With just eight days to go until that moment I find myself getting more and more excited! Even though I am a bit nervous that I wont get things done the way that I am seeing them in my head, I am excited about what I have planned as well as what I have accomplished so far.

Here is a little peek of what I am working on....