I Spy a Butterfly

Yesterday we met our playgroup at the Butterfly House in Faust Park.  We're used to the butterfly house at the zoo, which is very calm and relaxing.  It's nice and comfortable and occasionally a butterfly will land on your arm.  Delightful.  The Butterfly House in Faust Park is a little different.  There are SO MANY BUTTERFLIES and they are all dive bombing around you and landing in your hair and, frankly, it's a bit unsettling.  My goal was to get a good shot of an open Blue Morpho. 

This is a closed Blue Morpho.  Yeah, they're kind of uggos.  Hooray for blending in with your surroundings and making everyone think you are an owl, blue morpho.

This is what they look like when they're open.  Gorgeous!  And fast.  This is the best picture I got.  Blue Morpho is my new nemesis.

Everyone knows butterflies like bling.  I don't know who my hand model is, but she does excellent work.

The common name for this butterfly (scientific name: Idea leuconoe) is "Paper Kite."  Isn't that lovely?

Scientific name: Heliconius melpomene, form sticheli.  Common name: Postman.  Awesome.

This little guy (common name: The Surinamese Shoemaker) found a home on my sweet friend Emily's shirt.  He stayed there for about ten minutes.  I don't blame him.  Emily is delightful.

 More "Paper Kite."

This crazy huge moth (scientific name: Attacus atlas) is called an Atlas Moth.  I wish I had put something next to it so you could tell how huge it is.  It's as big as a tree trunk.  Jeff said he found one of these in his apartment when he was living in Brazil.  No, thank you.

 Even though pink and black is a little last season, I thought this butterfly was quite pretty.  I can't find her name in the butterfly directory, so I will just name her "Licorice and Lace."  

I'm not totally sure, but I think this is butterfly porn. 

Butterfly senior portrait.

My absolute favorite.  Paper Kites are so cooperative.  I'll get you someday, Blue Morpho! 

Speaking of spying, we finished reading Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh.  It was absolutely fantastic!  It was just so tender and touching and funny.  Harrison said it was his second favorite book that we've ever read (right after Harry Potter).  High praise, indeed!  Chloe liked it, but I think she was a bit young to understand it.  When she turns ten, she's going to love it!  A lot of it dealt with school friends and the dynamic of the classroom and that's not something Chloe understands, yet.  It really hit home for Harrison. 

Nickelodeon came out with a movie version years ago starring Michelle Trachtenburg and Rosie O'Donnell.  The only place I could find it was Youtube.  It was true to the book, but still modern enough to be relateable.  (The book takes place in the seventies.)  The book was much better, but the kids really enjoyed the movie, too. 

Class dismissed.