Butterflies ... Oh My!

So, as I have said, today was Bug Day in Kindergarten. All of my friends had to bring in a bug collection. Of DEAD bugs.

Except all the bugs weren't dead. There were two alive. And, they were in two different bug collections. At first I thought that the AC was just moving the antennae ... but, then the roach moved his entire wing in a desperate attempt to free himself from the straight pin attaching him to the foam core board.

Oh yes. It took every ounce of self control I have ever had to not scream.

And it must be said, the other bug was not attached to the Styrofoam board with a straight pin. Nope. He was glued down with some kind of epoxy glue.

Nice.

But, it was a good day all around. We looked at bugs (alive and dead), ate gummy bugs, and wrote about our bugs.

And, at lunch one of my friends asked (loudly) if I had a boyfriend. Which made me giggle because when was the last time you were asked if you had a boyfriend. Exactly. When I told him that I have better than a boyfriend, I have a husband, he screamed "Noooooooooo!" Because he thought having a boyfriend was gross.

Nice.

And, while my class was out of the room, my favorite Pre-K teacher brought her friends in to see the collections. And, I, being the great teacher I am (not really) wanted to show them our butterflies (because they had almost all come out of their chrysalis). And, then it happened.

At the bottom of the butterfly house was a FULL cup of water with a flower in it. I spilled the entire cup of water in the butterfly house. The butterfly house filled with 16 hatched butterflies.

Panic set in for about 1 minute. And, then I remembered the live bugs attached to the foam core/Styrofoam boards and I told myself "You are a professional".

I had to release the butterflies before they drowned in the lake that had taken over the bottom of their butterfly house and I had to rescue the 7 or 8 that were swimming the back stroke. And, I was alone. In a room with 16 butterflies in desperate need of saving and 16 Kindergartners who had loved these little guys from tiny larvae.

So I did the only thing I could do. And at that moment it seemed like the stupidest thing I had ever done in my life.

I asked my friends who wanted to help me carry butterflies outside.

Pandemonium ensued. Fantastic. Rule number 1 ... you must be in your seat to get a butterfly. Rule number 2 ... you must not squish your butterfly.

Amazingly there were 16 butterflies for my 16 friends. It became a scene out of "What Not to do in Your Classroom", however. Butterflies were climbing up arms, dropping to the floor, going down shirts. When one butterfly took off around the room I knew we only had a few minutes to get them outside before I would have a BIG problem on my hands.

So down the hall we went. Right past the front desk. The front desk where the Principal was sitting because our Secretary is at Jury Duty.

Do I really need to describe the scene behind me as I lead my class down the hall? 16 Kindergarten friends cupping butterflies in their hands, walking slowly, squealing, butterflies on shirts or crawling up arms, giggling Kinder friends ... all past the Principal.

Fantastic. No, really it was a fun, fun, fun moment. One I will treasure forever. Because what I thought was a disaster, turned into one fun teaching moment. Because when was the last time you let a butterfly tickle your hand?

All of the butterflies made it outside. I would love to tell you that all of the wings were attached as they were let go ... but, hey! I teach Kindergarten.

And the best part of the day? Having one of my sweet friends come in to from the great butterfly release of 2009 and announce, "This has been the best day of my life!"

Mine too, sweet friend. Mine too.