I shall call it Stanley

So J-Mav came home with a single knee-high (as in pantyhose) last week. It was filled with dirt and "magic seeds" and sinched in two places so as to create the body parts of a caterpillar. It had pieces of black pipe cleaner for antenna stuck into it, and googly eyes glued on. It looked like a big blob and smelled like dirt. It came with instructions.

Over the past few weeks we have been studying insect and plant lifecycles. Today, we made caterpillars using soil and magic seeds. Upon arrival at home, please soak your caterpillar in lukewarm water to ensure he/she is saturated. Place the caterpillar near a window to ensure he/she gets plenty of sunshine. Please have your child spray the caterpillar with water daily and keep them [sic] moist. Watch the caterpillars grow and have your child write about the changes he/she sees (2 - 3x a week) as well as draw a picture. Please have your child return their [sic] caterpillar journal on Friday, May 29, 2009. Please keep your caterpillar at home and enjoy him.

So this smelly sock filled with dirt arrived on my kitchen counter last Wednesday and sat there until Friday morning. We soaked him, as instructed, in a disposable brownie pan, and left him on the counter by the window... waiting to see what, if anything was going to grow. Unfortunately, I don't have a "before" picture.

DAY 1 -- 5/15/09 -- FRIDAY
My caterpillr has no hair. I soaked him in water.

What can I say? J-Mav is a man of few words when it comes to writing. He obviously does NOT get that from me.

Over the weekend, it started growing. It quickly became apparent that the magic seeds were, in fact, grass seeds... which makes perfect sense, since grass grows like weeds when wet and sunlit! On Sunday, we moved the caterpillar and his brownie pan to a plant stand in the dining room, where he would enjoy more sun.

DAY 3 -- 5/18/09 -- MONDAY
He is growing hair.


Once the "hair" started growing there was no turning back. J-Mav loves inspecting his caterpillar when he gets up in the morning and when he gets home from school.

DAY 6 -- 5/21/09 -- THURSDAY
His hair is lonnn the ant tanoss dissoperdu I cnt see his iyss ethrr.

Translation: His hair is long. The antennas dissappeared. I can't see his eyes, either.

So. That's where we are now.

As for naming him Stanley... I haven't told J-Mav yet. I was just looking at the caterpillar tonight and it looked like some wild playoff beard to me. And I thought to myself, "I shall name him Stanley."

Tomorrow morning we leave for Philadelphia for a hockey tournament. I believe Stanley will make the trip, too. (Shhhh... Hubby doesn't know yet!)