Thank you, Lola!

Several years ago the kids and I found Monarch butterfly caterpillars. We put them in jars and watched them morph into butterflies. The kids were so fascinated that every year we now find the caterpillars and take them into their school classrooms.

This year Lauren and I found an unusual caterpillar. Unusual in that it seemed to be particular about the jar we had it in. Lola (as Lauren finally named it) stopped eating when I put her in a mayonnaise jar. Apparently she prefers Miracle Whip? When I finally switched her into an airier plastic container, she perked up and did what Monarch caterpillars do. Ate, ate and ate some more.

Confident that Lola wasn’t going to croak, I took her into Lauren’s classroom and the teacher placed Lola on her desk. For a few days, all was well. But then Lola felt the need to crawl out a small hole in her cage to form her chrysalis on the side of the container where we could better see her in all her glory. If Lola were human, she’d be wearing pink boas and strutting her stuff in high heels.

For the last two weeks, the kids have anxiously been waiting for the butterfly to emerge. Yesterday, I told my kids that she’d hatch out of her cocoon today at approximately 11:15 a.m. (No reason. It was a total guess.)

Well, guess what. Lauren’s teacher just emailed me that Lola hatched at 11:20 - within five minutes of my prediction. It might have been a total guess, but that’s not going to stop me from using this mere coincidence to prove to my kids that I know everything. Everything!

“Don’t even think about drinking at the party, Drew. Mom knows everything. Everything. Remember the butterfly?”

“I said no driving my car while I’m gone, Chris. Mom knows everything. Yes, I do. Remember Lola?”

“Lauren, when I said no parties while I’m out of town, I meant it. Don’t forget, Mom knows everything. Remember the butterfly from when you were in third grade?”

Thank you, Lola!