The second trip was to check out the Butterfly Bash. We stopped by after dance class, having no idea what the Butterfly Bash actually was, to be completely surprised by all the fun. Upon entrance, members had a choice of gift between a cute bottle of bubbles with a butterfly on top and a lollipop with a mealworm inside. After inquiring about the lollipop, and if the worm was real (alive in Catherine speak) and edible, she decided to go with...
drum roll please...
the lollipop!
Yes, she did eat it.
Chase chose a bottle of pink bubbles. Go figure.
Once inside, we discovered at least a dozen booths set up outside the butterfly house with topics ranging from entomology to face painting. The first booth we hit, was face painting.
We then sat outside and listened to some live music for a bit. Well, I sat, the kids danced.
Chase attacked a few times. Fun.
There was booth where people could hold exotic bugs like giant millipedes, tarantulas, and stick bugs. If you know our kids, then yea, you know we held them all.
Then we hit up the termite booth which I found amazing. Apparently there is a chemical in many ball point ink pens that is similar enough to the one used by termites to communicate about where to find food, so if you draw a path with one of these pens, the termites will get on it and follow it. Blew my mind. Totally amazed I was, so when I asked the entomologist which chemical was responsible, I was taken back when she gave me a look, sighed, and pulled out a piece of paper to which she pointed to a chemical structure, and said, "If you really want to know it is this."
It was the structure for 2-phenoxyethanol.
Perhaps this adorable, young entomologist just couldn't imagine that the woman to whom she was speaking, with the crazy child on her shoulders pointing and grunting loudly at termites walking on the loop-dee-loops his sister just drew, while rubbing her hair into something resembling a rats nest, would actually understand the word 2-phenoxyethanol because in a previous life she used to be an organic chemist.
Honestly, I was.
I have the tax documents to prove it.
Anyway, after some lunch the kids decided the perfect way to end the meal was with, well pardon the pun, some mealworm dessert. And I'm not talking about the lollipop. Well just see for yourself, or if you have a weak stomach, please don't look in the cup.
Fortunately they were stir fried in an electric walk in some sesame oil, however she refused all offers of toppings. Both she and Chase ate them saying, "Mmmm,"
and then to much of my horror,
"Try one, Mommy. They taste just like fries!"
Honestly I would say they were more like oily styrofoam than fries.
Then there were the crickets, oh the crickets. They at least accepted the drizzled chocolate topping. Here she is moments after chowing down her second helping of crickets.
If you look real closely you might just see a leg sticking out between her teeth. Oh dear, sorry for the imagery. After dessert we all three got stickers,
and four hours later we left happily exhausted, and full of all sorts of new experiences.
