Metamorphosis

We were just a few feet away from exiting the State Fair of Texas when we spotted the sign for the butterfly exhibit. A lack of naps, rest, or a real lunch did not stop us from taking a sharp turn left into the world of metamorphosis.

The gardens that surround the exhibit were filled with beautiful flowers being tickled by countless butterflies yielding an enchanting feel to the place. Once entering the closed in butterfly sanctuary it was clear I could spend all day there watching these frail flitting creatures. However, the children, although interested, could not be contained in a small mesh building forever.

Notice the notch out of this guy's wing.

This one thought he was hiding.

These blue butterflies never sat still. Even when on a flower, there wings were in constant, high speed motion. This was taken with a high shutter speed. I can't believe I was able to catch his wings open!

Your next buddy! Start working on that cocoon.

Check out the cool movement in this shot.

When the children began to play with the gravel that carved out the walking path we took that as our cue to move on. I wondered if Savannah had gotten anything from our exploration of butterflies. When we saw the caterpillar, I and the older gentleman running the exhibit, explained the whole process of metamorphosis. Meanwhile, instead of listening intently, Savannah flitted around plant to plant acting as though she herself where an aimless butterfly. Was our breath wasted?

To my surprise two weeks later when we were back home again, I overheard her explaining to someone else (I think it was her Daddy) the process of caterpillars turning into butterflies. By George she got it after all!

I can explain things we've read in a book to her. We can later "google" those topics and learn more. We even look everything up on You Tube so she can watch videos about our topic of choice. But nothing seals the deal like seeing it in person. Even when I think she is just having fun but not actually absorbing the experience, much to my delight, I am wrong. Later on, sometime months later, the information she has learned quietly and unsuspectingly slips into conversation. At times she adds inferences of her own that I would never dreamed she could have figured out.

Thus, my passion to travel with children is once again rationalized. The world is our classroom and we hop, fly, or drive from one subject to another then realize that they are all connected. Food, history, culture, science, literature, social studies, are all just one big subjext called Life. Notice I didn't add math in there. I still haven't figured out how that subject is fun!