The Butterfly House

Lorelei has been asking to go to a butterfly house for about a year and a half now. She still remembers visiting the one at the Gardens in Norfolk, just before Makin was born. So you can imagine how delighted I was to find one that is open year-round! And of course, even more happy Mary is up for taking field trips with us! :) So, again we packed up the kids and headed into Dallas. They had a WONDERFUL time and it was absolutely beautiful.

Before the butterflies...From top and middle left, clockwise...there were also crafts going on this week because of spring break, so they enjoyed some markers and tissue paper to make their own picture with flowers. The guy working the craft seemed to think Makin needed some help. :) Our two cuties on one of the benches. :), running around in the garden area they loved exploring, in front of the sign for the building, and then the older girls looking at the sign saying which butterfly they were most excited to see. Behind them is the butterfly house. It is all part of State Fair Park (if you can see the Ferris wheel) and there are other museums there as well, so we will probably be back in the future to check out some more, especially the train museum! :)

The room with the butterflies was huge. Two levels...and so many amazing flowers and butterflies to see. The entrance is at the top floor and you go down the ramp to see all of it. Sooo many close butterflies to see and so many different kinds. Lorelei was very sure she could sit still long enough for one to land on her. As we were going down, she said that one did land on her shoulder for a minute...whether it landed or just came really close, she was super-excited. We even wore a bright shirt and sprayed her hair with smelly-good stuff to help! :)




As you can see, there was a container that the chrysallys were in that the children could look at (and fight over the ONE stool of course) and then every day at noon they release the butterflies that are ready to fly. The lady talked about the butterflies and answered questions. Can you see our two older girls front and center? :) Only about three flew out right away. They wait for them to fly out when they are ready so that they are happier during their roughly two-week life span. We went back through the very hot and humid butterfly house a second time before heading home, and just happened to time it right to see about three more butterflies that decided they were ready to fly out at that time, so they were all very glad to see that up close. The picture of Lorelei and Aubrey looking depressed is actually them trying to sit really still for a butterfly to land on them. Did you know it was such a sad job? :)

We brought a picnic lunch and enjoyed it back out in the gardens on the benches. Then they all stayed at the little pond for quite a while checking out some fish (and possibly tadpoles...according to Lorelei). And yes, I was worried she was going to fall in head-first. :)

Soooo much fun! :)