My How You Have Grown

I was serious the other day when I posted about dancing with Grace at the lake that I really am struck lately by how much she's grown over the summer. I keep looking at her-studying her-wondering where my pudgy little baby went. Instead, I have this lanky little girl who makes me stop at least once a day and say to myself-wow-she's getting so big.

Grace received a butterfly kit from her Aunt Kathryn and Uncle Tom for her birthday. Can I say what a hit this was? You send away for the caterpillars who arrive in their own little home. They eat, and eat, and eat some more. We watched them every day. And then one day-voila-a chrysalis! In our case we had 5.

We then moved them to their habitat (I felt like I was performing neurosurgery trying to negotiate 4 little eager bodies and not drop one of these things). Within a few days we had butterflies! They fluttered all around their mesh setting and ate orange slices and flowers sprayed with sugar water. The kids and I would sit and watch in amazement because you could actually see their little straws unrolling to drink.

But then it came to release them. I knew this would be hard for Grace. She broke into immediate hysterics and begged for "one more sleep." I conceded. But then she came back an hour later and said she was ready and wanted to do it herself. So outside we went.

Grace opened up the cage and off they went. It was seriously cool. Grace wanted to know where they were so we said up there! By the chimney! But as she looked up a bird came swooping down. I yelled "oh dear God!" but we're pretty sure the butterfly survived. Thank goodness. . .

And then last night Grace slept in her big girl bed. She had been in a very cute Ikea toddler bed that fir her just right. But we decided it was time for more space. Grace and I had special mommy time and picked out a new bedspread (princesses of course) and even rested on the unassembled mattress until her dad got home. She looked so tiny in the bed, yet so big. . .