It's hard to stand by and watch your child go from innocent wonder and the "safekeeping" of small creatures to the realization that their influence means certain death for the very creature they long to protect and befriend.
Evelyn's first lesson? Well, that's happening now, with a tiny black caterpillar in a jar, in the back, that has been named Avery.
It seems that Kate and Ev crossed paths with Avery yesterday afternoon around 3 pm. After introductions were made, the girls set out to " make him a home" and "keep him safe". Les and I were busy painting so I couldn't really supervise much at all. I do know that Avery's new domicile involved rocks, chalk, flowers, water and paper (Ev's contribution of course). By the time I got out to look at Avery, around 5 pm, it seemed to me that he was already ummmm, traumatized and on his way out of this realm of existence.
I found a jar anyway. Put him in there. With his paper and flowers.
And now? I am dreading the moment that Ev wants to go check on him. He will be nothing but a tiny corpse.
Maybe?
Maybe it won't be that bad. She did just say that "Avery sure was tired yesterday!" "Or maybe hurt but probably tired" .
I might just play it off like Avery was tired and is in a deep deep sleep. (The Big Sleep- but I may not clarify what that means).
This does mean that one night very soon ( before the rot starts) that I will be out there in my backyard, in the dark, secreting away the tiny remains of my daughter's friend.
Why, Avery? Why?
1 comment:
Could you just take the lid off the jar and stage a crime scene while she's asleep tonight? Then come up with some story about how he escaped? Or maybe the caterpillar's mom and dad came and rescued him?
I don't know how these things work. This is all new to me in the parenting realm. I'm planning to learn from your experiences. LOL!
But it sure would be funny to see you trying to make little caterpillar footprints trailing off of a knocked over jar....
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