Butterfly release! We've gotten several Insect Lore butterfly gardens for the kids over the years, and it is always a thrill. First, you order the netted habitat and get a cup of caterpillars delivered in the mail. Over the course of a week, they eat the food in the jar and turn into cocoons. Then you transfer them to their home and about seven or so days later, butterflies! When we did the release, three flew out right away and one decided to be a homebody so we had to coax him out. Max wanted the butterflies to fly to L.A. Ben wanted them to go to his teachers' homes. There was some drama. The look on Ben's face when he got to hold one: priceless. And yes, I agree, those boys sure could use haircuts!
Continuing with the butterfly happiness: Sabrina and Ben made me a butterfly wall for Mother's Day in our kitchen from downloads they colored. I'm keeping it!
Liquid droppers. We've been using them to grab food-dyed water from big bowls and plop it into other bowls with clear water. Simple, but fun. These are little guys, just over three inches tall; a turkey baster would also work.
Car joy rides with Max. Sometimes, our whole family cruises around our neighborhood. Like a road trip, it's a change of scenery and a chance to check out the sights—i.e., see which stores have opened up again and ponder why people still aren't wearing masks.
An at-home pedi treatment. My friend Lyla, who always knows about good stuff, told me about Baby Foot; it's an exfoliating foot peel. My heels have been Sahara-ish, who knows when I'll be able to get a pedicure again and I actually had time to wear the little goop-filled booties last weekend. Your skin proceeds to magically shed in the ensuing ten days. So far, so smooth!
Taking time to take in the azaleas. Seriously. My life is such a whirlwind (have you heard the phrase "blursday"?) that I haven't truly enjoyed spring. But this week I sat on our front steps and gazed at our just-bloomed azalea bush. I hope you have flowers in your front or backyard bringing you happiness so that when you walk back into your disorganized, toys everywhere, gotta-get-around-to-washing-the-kitchen-floor-one-of-these-days house (er, that would be me), you feel a little more peaceful.
I once tried to work up the joy of dropping die into a glass bowl into a exhibit at a science museum -- after having the activity shown to us by a Stanford professor. Didn't quite work (especially because the science of diffusion, etc.) was too complicated. But it was loads of fun.
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