Butterflies & Pinewood Derbies

We have found fun traditions as a family and one of those is growing caterpillars into butterflies. We have done it for a couple years now and the kids think it is way cool to watch. We buy caterpillars with food in a container and they are all really tiny. We watch every week as they get bigger and bigger until they get big enough to make a cocoon on top of the lid.  Then we carefully move the lid into our butterfly cage and wait for them to transform into butterflies.  This usually takes about 10 days or so.  Then pop! The butterflies come out!  The butterflies stay in the cage for a few days sipping orange juice and strengthening their wings.  Then it is time to let them fly free.

This year we set 10 butterflies free.  This is the kids favorite part because they get to hold them and watch them fly.  

Usually the butterflies hang out for a minute and let us play with them but the butterflies this year were outta here.  As soon as we took them out of the cage, they flew from our fingers and were gone.  I guess they were ready to be free.  That was okay because it was still fun to watch them grow and fly.  

Another fun tradition we like to participate in is the Pinewood Derby.  This year Logan got to participate as part of his Activity Day group.  Together with the Deacons, they boys all had a great time.

Logan's car was not the fastest car but it sure was the best looking!  He wanted to make a car that looked like a shark.  So he and Colby worked together on the design, Russell cut it out for him, and he sanded and painted it to a shine.  Then I helped him paint the teeth and eyes on to make it look fierce.  It turned out amazing!

Logan loves his car.  This Pinewood Derby competition was pretty intense.  There were a lot of high tech cars designed by engineer dads that looked like they were going to smoke everyone.  In the end though, Kayleanne Cox, a sister to one of the boys and daughter of one of the leaders, actually won first place in the event!  We all congratulated the only girl in the competition. Colby brought his first place car from last year, and raced it after it was all done.  His car still held its own with the top cars but will retire as first place in its year.  The boys have already started designing their cars for the next Pinewood Derby.  They can't wait.