Hey, Look at my Friend, Mom!

On Sunday, William came running into the house with this large "friend." I was a little taken aback at the size. I've never seen such a large caterpillar.


Nature sleuth, Barb, helped us identify it as a Crecopia Moth Caterpillar. This means it will become the largest moth in North America! We have discovered that it likes maple leaves and buckthorn. It should spin a cocoon soon, and then we'll have to wait until spring or summer to see it in its mothly glory.

We learned that it does well in very cold temperatures (more than 30 degrees below zero) and needs the colder temperatures for proper metamorphosis. For that reason, we will be placing our "friend" on the shaded north-facing front porch in the nice little home we've made him. We will await warm weather and the emergence of Mr. Moth.

When I was checking favorite blogs this morning, I stumbled upon a similar post by my friend, Andrea, who lives only about 15 minutes from us. It must be the year of the Crecopia Moth in our area!

Taking Back His Words

We were having a simple lunch of bean and cheese quesadillas today. As I was spreading the refried black beans on the tortilla, three-year-old Andrew came along, took one look, and exclaimed,

"Eeeew! That looks like cat poo..." [stopping himself before the final consonant]

[pause, quick mental check]...

"Um, Mom, I didn't actually say that..."

[another pause, wheels rapidly turning]...

"I love you soooo much, Mom."

Nice save, little guy.

Praying for Erin

Please pray for sweet baby Erin, who is undergoing heart surgery this Wednesday. Erin, our prayers are with you!

Entertainment a la Andrew

You know, you don't have to look far for entertainment and laughs in this family of seven. Especially when you have a resident ham for a three-year-old.

Andrew has taken to hanging off the counter by the pouch of his rotund belly, his feet a good twelve inches off the floor. He climbs up on a stool, takes his hanging-position when no one is looking, scoots the stool away with his feet, and then hangs there unassuming, not making a peep, until someone walks by and takes notice. It's a riot.

If you care to see a three-year-old-hanging-by-his-belly, c'mon over. You simply don't know what you're missing.