Hug him and squeeze him and call him...

Jake! Noah has a Golden Book entitled 'The Pet in the Jar.' It is about a little boy named Jeremy who really wants a pet but he lives in an apartment with a 'no pets' rule. While walking through the park one day, Jeremy stumbles upon a caterpillar. He decides to take him home and keep him in a jar. He names him - you guessed it - Jake. He feeds Jake fresh leaves and plays with him until Jake hides inside a house. Jeremy doesn't understand what is happening until Jake emerges as a beautiful butterfly. Well, as mommy was coming up to the front steps on Sunday, she came across a Monarch caterpillar. When Noah got up from his nap, we took him outside with a jar to catch his own 'pet' who he aptly named Jake. Mommy was very concerned because she couldn't find any milkweed in the yard, in fact, we were all pretty confused as to how Jake found his way in to our front yard to begin with. But because we took him in and promised to care for him, we decided to treat him right. Bright and early Monday morning mommy and the boys loaded in to the car and headed to the nursery. We bought some milkweed and some parsley (thanks to the persistent saleslady). Next we headed to Wal-Mart to find a better home for Jake. (Mommy was sure he needed more room.) We found the perfect little plastic box and Noah knew 'he would be so happy in there.' Mommy showed her newness in buying bug boxes, though. She let Noah hold it in the car. He broke it before she had backed out of the parking place. But, we got home and moved Jake in there and gave him some of his new food. He didn't appear to have eaten anything and yet was able to still make 'copious amounts of frass.' (Mommy read that on the 'How to Care for your Monarch Caterpillar' website. Noah just marches around talking about caterpillar poop.) This morning we came down to check on him and to our surprise he has already started making his cocoon! As you can see in the photos, he is hanging from the top on his cage. His body is already starting to turn green. (I think mommy and daddy are having just as much fun as we hoped Noah would.) Now we just have to hope that he finishes his process before we leave for Michigan on the 31st! C'mon, Jake! Oh, and if anyone needs any milkweed, we have three brand new plants missing only two leaves....