When we go camping Jessica always seems to find a pet. We don't plan to take home any new pets, but somehow she finds one. Last month she found a butterfly that was stuck in the grill to the pick up. It turned out to still be alive but had a broken leg and was forced to walk only and couldn't fly away. Instant pet. She spent the weekend allowing this poor creature to crawl all around her as she pet it and loved it. It started to lose more body parts and after so much love eventually went to the other side. We talked of a funeral service but got a little too busy and one day mommy had to dispose of the poor creature.
Last weekend as she was swinging on the hammock with Auntie Shauna her new pet fell our of the sky. A caterpillar. This particular caterpillar was very colorful and wild looking to say the least. I was a wee bit worried it would be poisonous. So I warned her not to touch it. But, she had to love and take care of it and we put it in a cup. She then moved it's home my lovely large glass vase, (which has been home to her springtime ladybugs and beta fish) It has stayed a live with trees and grass until today she came down and said. "Mom. you made the holes too big for my caterpillar" I said, "oh?" She then said he was gone. One lost caterpillar. Maybe even a poisonous one. Oh no. So we proceeded to spend the next half hour looking carefully in every nook and cranny of her bedroom. I kept thinking we can't leave it just in case it was poisonous! I finally found it on the other side of the room climbing up her closet hanging thingy. We then slowly proceeded to the toilet where he was flushed. I said, "Say goodbye to caterpillar honey." she says softly. "good bye, caterpillar."
For some reason children are drawn to creatures of any kind. Maybe because they have found something they can really be in charge of and govern. So when they find one that isn't so nice or is poisonous they learn to still be good to it, bring it home and care for it.
(Until it gets loose of course then he needs to go...)
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