As most of us already know, some of the best experiences with our kids are not ones that we planned out perfectly. But even though we know this, it is really easy to forget in the hustle and bustle of daily life. So how do we remember and have these meaningful times with our kids that make fabulous memories? The answer is so painfully easy, just... slow... down.
It is true that this is much easier said than done, but it really can be accomplished if you just stop once in awhile and realize what is going on around you. Last summer, my 4 and 6 year old daughters taught me a sweet lesson on this. We were heading out to an extended family outing, late as usual. As we were bolting out the front door, my girls stopped at a large pot of petunias in full bloom on the front porch. They both started yelling to look at what they had found. I really wanted them to cooperate and get in the car so we wouldn't be humiliatingly late to the outing, but I stopped with the intention of quickly admiring whatever amazing thing they had discovered in the petunias. Sure enough, it was two amazing caterpillars doing a real number on my plants, but my girls were ecstatic at their find. Of course, they were both begging to keep them, and it was one of those moments as a parent that you just decide not to fight the battle and do whatever it takes to get their little bodies into the car. You can imagine my husband's surprise as we finally came barreling into the car with bug boxes in hand and two sad caterpillars not likely to make it through the day's festivities.
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As we were driving along, I started thinking about other times that we had found caterpillars. I knew that most caterpillars only eat a certain type of plant, so you can't just toss in any juicy leaves and expect them to get big and turn into beautiful butterflies. We actually did have a real treasure in the backseat because we knew exactly what these little guys were eating... my petunias. This, in turn, made me start to think about how fun it would be if we could really get these caterpillars to turn into butterflies. My husband was on board too, and we made every effort to keep the bugs alive throughout the day, which meant frequent trips to the car to make sure that they were not roasting and were nicely shaded.
We fed those two caterpillars the petunia leaves, and they did start getting very big and fat. And much to our surprise, about a week later, they each made a fabulous gold chrysalis. We waited anxiously and watched our new friends often, and we got so excited when we saw them start to shake a bit. We were there when one of them emerged from its chrysalis, and then we watched as they both dried their wings and flew away. The girls and I had a sweet conversation about where they flew and what their lives as butterflies would be like. And to think that we almost missed it because I was so worried about being on time to our outing. I was so thankful afterwards that I slowed down for a bit and really processed what a neat opportunity was sitting right in front of us, ours for the taking. All summer long, any time we saw any butterflies, regardless of their size or color, my girls were positive that those were our butterflies fluttering by to say hello.
Christmas Sales Ballerina Treasure Music Box 201
Dec 12, 2011 13:28:52
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Christmas Sales Ballerina Treasure Music Box Feature
- Size: 6"X4"X6"
- Plays "Swan Lake"
- Comes with dancing ballerina figurine
- Gold clasp on lid
- Mirror on inside of top
Christmas Sales Ballerina Treasure Music Box Overview
The tallest Enchantmints style, 6"X4"X6", is excellent for tiny treasures. Earrings, bracelets, charms and sachets are all safe and comfortable inside. Has four drawers, one in front, one in back, and one on each side.SAVE NOW on Christmas Sales Offers below!
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