| bbbss |
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A typical Sunday at the Baker house:
| First of all, off to church! |
Then home to jump on the trampoline with Hannah
and Hannah's friend, Emily!
and Hannah's friend, Emily!
Emily fixing Maggie's hair.
And next Maggie and Silas made a Greek supper for
us since we are studying Greece right now. We
wanted to make it so that Daddy could have some
before leaving for Florida. We made spanokopita,
tzitzaki, souvlaki and Greek butter cookies. All very
yummy!
us since we are studying Greece right now. We
wanted to make it so that Daddy could have some
before leaving for Florida. We made spanokopita,
tzitzaki, souvlaki and Greek butter cookies. All very
yummy!
| Next, out to ride bikes with Maggie's best friend, Natalie. Maggie is riding her NEW BIKE that cousin Jessica in Thailand got for her. She absolutely LOVES it!! |
| Joy running down the road to see Natalie's little brother, Michael, who is probably the cutest three year old boy around! |
| ... and very patient with two year old neighbor girls who want to ride his bike! |
| And that's the end of another beautiful Sunday. |
| Typical homeschooling picture. |
And for Mother's Day, Hannah and Canaan paid for me to go to the hairdresser. I was
wondering how long it had been since I had been to my hairdresser. The last time I was
there she was planning her wedding and I asked her how it was. She told me that she
had been married for three years now! Oh well, I guess I'm low maintenance.
BEFORE: AFTER:
wondering how long it had been since I had been to my hairdresser. The last time I was
there she was planning her wedding and I asked her how it was. She told me that she
had been married for three years now! Oh well, I guess I'm low maintenance.
BEFORE: AFTER:
Mothers' Day flowers
from my Love. They
smell amazing.
from my Love. They
smell amazing.
And in the "Does it get any better than this?" department....
Strawberries from our garden! We planted strawberries last
spring and they seemed to do okay, but we didn't really get
many berries. But THIS spring! Wow!! I go out and pick a bowl
full like this EVERY morning! And they are so sweet and juicy.
Strawberries from our garden! We planted strawberries last
spring and they seemed to do okay, but we didn't really get
many berries. But THIS spring! Wow!! I go out and pick a bowl
full like this EVERY morning! And they are so sweet and juicy.
All we did is mulch
them over for the
winter, and they
just exploded this
spring!
them over for the
winter, and they
just exploded this
spring!
They are so pretty and we have
lots more to come...
lots more to come...
And what have we here?
Raspberries already starting
to grow on the canes. Won't
be long now!
Raspberries already starting
to grow on the canes. Won't
be long now!
I love seeing things start to
grow in the spring. It is
always such a miracle.
grow in the spring. It is
always such a miracle.
Granny gave Canaan her grill! What a happy boy. We grilled steaks for his birthday.
In the words of Samantha's
grandfather on Sixteen Candles,
"No he's not retarded." Actually,
Canaan is trying to hold up how
many years old he is, but since he
is now 19, it's pretty tough to do.
grandfather on Sixteen Candles,
"No he's not retarded." Actually,
Canaan is trying to hold up how
many years old he is, but since he
is now 19, it's pretty tough to do.
Here is the cookie
pizza I made for
Canaan's
birthday. It's all
cookie and
candies etc.
pizza I made for
Canaan's
birthday. It's all
cookie and
candies etc.
Happy Birthday to Canaan! Happy Birthday to you! Canaan with his birthday apple pie.
Bros know
what bros like.
what bros like.
A box of ammo
and a
membership to a
local shooting
range.
and a
membership to a
local shooting
range.
| Pizza looking intently out the window at something. What is it? |
A little cardinal built a nest in
the bush right outside our
front window!
the bush right outside our
front window!
And Hannah and Canaan are
doing P90X! Hannah said
they should take "Before" ab
pictures, so here they are.
Yeah, "Before"? Not bad for a
Before picture! Check back in
90 days and we'll see what
that "After" looks like!
doing P90X! Hannah said
they should take "Before" ab
pictures, so here they are.
Yeah, "Before"? Not bad for a
Before picture! Check back in
90 days and we'll see what
that "After" looks like!
And another picture I
took, of me and my
sweet boy. I learned
how to take
self-pictures from
Jordan. Too bad she
didn't learn anything
from me. :-(
took, of me and my
sweet boy. I learned
how to take
self-pictures from
Jordan. Too bad she
didn't learn anything
from me. :-(
Me and my strawberries. (I took this picture myself.)
05-13-2011 UPDATE and More May Musings:
Another birthday gone by for 2011. My sweet baby boy is 19 now. Oh my heart. This boy showed up almost two
weeks late and has spent the past 19 years making it up for it by being everywhere early! What an amazing
young man he is. I am so proud of him. He is also done his semester at school and will be applying this week for
the Physical Therapy program starting this fall. Please pray that he is accepted. He has tried hard and gotten
good grades. There is nothing else he can do but hope that he is in the top number who qualify for this year.
Meanwhile, he continues to work at Moe's and continues to look for another job. He has made himself invaluable
there and can handle every position. He is always early, conscientious, and hard working. Customers comment
all the time about how great he is. And yet, for three years they paid him minimum wage. He got his first raise this
past week. Not cool. Praying for a better job to see him through while he finishes his degree.
Really enjoying the beautiful weather, and getting out in the garden again. Our strawberries are absolutely
flourishing and we are enjoying fresh, sweet berries every day.
We had a nice Mother's Day. We went down to visit Granny in Georgia for the day. It was also Pop's birthday,
and we all were remembering him fondly. He would have been 83. We all had a lovely time with Granny, and we
were lucky enough to have Hannah and Canaan with us too. It was a short visit, but very nice. This was Joy's first
long trip with us, and she traveled very well, thankfully.
We are half way through soccer season. The kids are doing great and enjoying it so much. Tomorrow is game
five. We are all going to miss this when it is all over.
Joy continues to progress. This week Daddy was home and she does well when Daddy is here. She'll throw a
lovely tantrum for me, but when Daddy speaks, that girl listens! It's like magic. Haven't figured it all out yet, but all
I know is the weeks when he is home go a lot more smoothly for everyone!
And continuing my thoughts from last update, here are a few more musings on the subject of Encouragement:
Everyone, at some point, needs encouragement, and although the Bible speaks of the “gift of encouragement”
even those of us who are not particularly gifted in this area are instructed to be encouraging to others. In fact,
one of the main purposes of “church” and assembling ourselves together, is to encourage each other. Someone
may be longing for encouragement to face the every day struggles of mothering toddlers or trying to lose weight,
while someone else may be in desperate need of encouragement following the tragic loss of a loved one or the
diagnosis of a life threatening disease. But whatever the reason, at some point we all need encouragement, and
at some point we all need to encourage someone else too.
So what constitutes “encouragement”? I have thought about this often over the years. As I think about the
harder things in life that I have experienced I ask myself very honestly, what would I have wanted someone to say
or do for me? The Bible says that God comforts us in our troubles so that we can comfort others . (1 Cor 1:4) I
do not want my experiences to be wasted. So I mull and I muse and I turn it on its back and sides: what does
genuine encouragement look like? Of course it may differ from person to person to some extent, but I expect it
has a similar face for many.
To begin with, let’s look at what encouragement is not. It is not: Solving the problem. Men, especially, tend to
approach issues with the mindset of solving the problem. This is not to say that the advice isn’t good, or that
there isn’t some legitimate problem solving that needs to be done. But there are times when, especially initially,
the hurt and grief and emotions are so raw and so loud, that even the most sage and inspired advice can’t even
be heard over the volume of our own pain. Advice may be welcome eventually, but encouragement is needed to
ever even get to that point.
Encouragement is not: Distraction. Sometimes distraction may be appropriate, depending on how deep the pain
of the situation is. But in most cases, it is just that – distraction. It doesn’t make anything better, and if anything,
the person feels even worse when the distraction is removed and they are left alone struggling with their grief
once more. Many well intentioned people think if they can get the bereaved or despondent person to smile in
some way, that they have made them “happy”. Like Fezzik in the Princess Bride said, “I want you to feel you are
doing well. I hate for people to die embarrassed.” The situation hadn’t changed, and patronizing him didn’t help.
Encouragement is not: Trumping. People love to indulge in “one-down-manship.” While it is nice to have
someone commiserate and know how you feel, in almost every trial I have faced, I have had well-meaning people
(well, I like to assume they were well-meaning) try to comfort me by telling me they have been through much
worse, for much longer, with more heartbreaking results. I am not sure how this is supposed to make someone
feel better. If anything, it discredits their own experience and adds guilt and shame to their already burdened
emotions.
So then what DOES encouragement look like? To start with, encouragement is: Being There. We often feel that
we need to offer some profound advice or comforting words. Since we can’t think of anything, and we “don’t want
to make them feel worse” we simply do nothing. There is something powerful about the presence of someone
else who cares, even if they just sit there silently beside you, caring. In fact sometimes silent is better. Grieving
and struggling people are often battling loneliness too. They need to know someone cares, and doesn’t expect
them to say anything. Just be there.
Encouragement is: Acknowledging. I recall my daughter telling me about getting caught on stage in a coughing
fit at a church performance . The boy next to her looked on as she tried desperately and vainly to clear the tickle
from her throat in the quiet sanctuary. At one point he leaned over and sympathetically said, “This must be very
embarrassing for you.” I laughed when she told me this, but thought it was such a perfect thing to say. He couldn’
t solve the problem, so he didn’t try. But he didn’t ignore the problem either. With compassion, he acknowledged
what she was going through. In effect he said: “I see what is happening. It stinks. I can’t do anything about it,
but I care.” And often encouragement is just that simple. People going through hard things often feel, on top of
everything else, that they are a “downer” to everyone else. They know that they are not fun right now. They
know that people feel awkward around them and don’t know what to say. So they feel ostracized and even more
alone. Acknowledge that you see and that you care.
And hand in hand with Acknowledging, encouragement is: Listening. Discouraged people need someone who will
not only acknowledge what they are going through, but will give them permission to talk about it too. Have you
ever been in a situation where people stood quietly and awkwardly around a friend whom they all knew was
hurting, but nobody wanted to say anything for fear of “making them feel bad”? This is absurd. When you are
profoundly hurt or grieved, do you ever stop thinking about it? You wake up with it before you, and lie down at
night to a tortured sleep that even your dreams will not respect. That person who has lost their husband, or has
been diagnosed with cancer, or has a pregnant daughter, or a son in rehab… I guarantee they are thinking
about it. All the time. They don’t want to burden anyone else, so they suffer alone. In most cases they very
much do want to talk to someone who doesn’t make them feel bad for talking about it and is willing to take the time
to listen. Listening is such a simple thing to do for those we care about. But are we willing to take the time to do
it?
And most important of all, encouragement is: Offering Hope. In discouragements large and small, Hope is
everything. The difference between discouragement and despondence is Hope. In our most tragic
circumstances, Hope is the element that makes the difference between giving up and carrying on. My husband
was unexpectedly laid off three years ago when we were in China adopting our son. My fear and panic was
debilitating. Soon into our desperate job search, we did receive word of a company that was interested. As my
days were filled with surviving from minute to minute with desperate prayers, this company’s interest in my
husband was huge. Because it meant Hope. Nothing ever came of that job prospect, but I believe that God sent
it to us at that time, to give us Hope enough to carry on until the next thing did come along. Hope is crucial. With
God there is always Hope. In our heads, we know this, but when tragedy strikes, the Enemy does everything he
can to convince us that all is hopeless and that we should just give up. In our weakened state we are more than
ready to believe it. Pray for those who are grieving. Pray WITH those who are grieving. And remind them there
is always Hope.
There are many other aspects of what encouragement is and is not. It is not being judgmental or patronizing; it is
thinking of appropriate ways to help out, and being patient with progress. But at the heart, it all begins with this:
Be There. Acknowledge. Listen. Offer Hope. These things are not difficult. They don’t take a degree in
theology or a big investment in time or money. There is someone in your life right now who needs
encouragement for some reason big or small. Who is it, and what will you do?
“Encourage one another, and lift each other, just as, in fact, you are doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11
Another birthday gone by for 2011. My sweet baby boy is 19 now. Oh my heart. This boy showed up almost two
weeks late and has spent the past 19 years making it up for it by being everywhere early! What an amazing
young man he is. I am so proud of him. He is also done his semester at school and will be applying this week for
the Physical Therapy program starting this fall. Please pray that he is accepted. He has tried hard and gotten
good grades. There is nothing else he can do but hope that he is in the top number who qualify for this year.
Meanwhile, he continues to work at Moe's and continues to look for another job. He has made himself invaluable
there and can handle every position. He is always early, conscientious, and hard working. Customers comment
all the time about how great he is. And yet, for three years they paid him minimum wage. He got his first raise this
past week. Not cool. Praying for a better job to see him through while he finishes his degree.
Really enjoying the beautiful weather, and getting out in the garden again. Our strawberries are absolutely
flourishing and we are enjoying fresh, sweet berries every day.
We had a nice Mother's Day. We went down to visit Granny in Georgia for the day. It was also Pop's birthday,
and we all were remembering him fondly. He would have been 83. We all had a lovely time with Granny, and we
were lucky enough to have Hannah and Canaan with us too. It was a short visit, but very nice. This was Joy's first
long trip with us, and she traveled very well, thankfully.
We are half way through soccer season. The kids are doing great and enjoying it so much. Tomorrow is game
five. We are all going to miss this when it is all over.
Joy continues to progress. This week Daddy was home and she does well when Daddy is here. She'll throw a
lovely tantrum for me, but when Daddy speaks, that girl listens! It's like magic. Haven't figured it all out yet, but all
I know is the weeks when he is home go a lot more smoothly for everyone!
And continuing my thoughts from last update, here are a few more musings on the subject of Encouragement:
Everyone, at some point, needs encouragement, and although the Bible speaks of the “gift of encouragement”
even those of us who are not particularly gifted in this area are instructed to be encouraging to others. In fact,
one of the main purposes of “church” and assembling ourselves together, is to encourage each other. Someone
may be longing for encouragement to face the every day struggles of mothering toddlers or trying to lose weight,
while someone else may be in desperate need of encouragement following the tragic loss of a loved one or the
diagnosis of a life threatening disease. But whatever the reason, at some point we all need encouragement, and
at some point we all need to encourage someone else too.
So what constitutes “encouragement”? I have thought about this often over the years. As I think about the
harder things in life that I have experienced I ask myself very honestly, what would I have wanted someone to say
or do for me? The Bible says that God comforts us in our troubles so that we can comfort others . (1 Cor 1:4) I
do not want my experiences to be wasted. So I mull and I muse and I turn it on its back and sides: what does
genuine encouragement look like? Of course it may differ from person to person to some extent, but I expect it
has a similar face for many.
To begin with, let’s look at what encouragement is not. It is not: Solving the problem. Men, especially, tend to
approach issues with the mindset of solving the problem. This is not to say that the advice isn’t good, or that
there isn’t some legitimate problem solving that needs to be done. But there are times when, especially initially,
the hurt and grief and emotions are so raw and so loud, that even the most sage and inspired advice can’t even
be heard over the volume of our own pain. Advice may be welcome eventually, but encouragement is needed to
ever even get to that point.
Encouragement is not: Distraction. Sometimes distraction may be appropriate, depending on how deep the pain
of the situation is. But in most cases, it is just that – distraction. It doesn’t make anything better, and if anything,
the person feels even worse when the distraction is removed and they are left alone struggling with their grief
once more. Many well intentioned people think if they can get the bereaved or despondent person to smile in
some way, that they have made them “happy”. Like Fezzik in the Princess Bride said, “I want you to feel you are
doing well. I hate for people to die embarrassed.” The situation hadn’t changed, and patronizing him didn’t help.
Encouragement is not: Trumping. People love to indulge in “one-down-manship.” While it is nice to have
someone commiserate and know how you feel, in almost every trial I have faced, I have had well-meaning people
(well, I like to assume they were well-meaning) try to comfort me by telling me they have been through much
worse, for much longer, with more heartbreaking results. I am not sure how this is supposed to make someone
feel better. If anything, it discredits their own experience and adds guilt and shame to their already burdened
emotions.
So then what DOES encouragement look like? To start with, encouragement is: Being There. We often feel that
we need to offer some profound advice or comforting words. Since we can’t think of anything, and we “don’t want
to make them feel worse” we simply do nothing. There is something powerful about the presence of someone
else who cares, even if they just sit there silently beside you, caring. In fact sometimes silent is better. Grieving
and struggling people are often battling loneliness too. They need to know someone cares, and doesn’t expect
them to say anything. Just be there.
Encouragement is: Acknowledging. I recall my daughter telling me about getting caught on stage in a coughing
fit at a church performance . The boy next to her looked on as she tried desperately and vainly to clear the tickle
from her throat in the quiet sanctuary. At one point he leaned over and sympathetically said, “This must be very
embarrassing for you.” I laughed when she told me this, but thought it was such a perfect thing to say. He couldn’
t solve the problem, so he didn’t try. But he didn’t ignore the problem either. With compassion, he acknowledged
what she was going through. In effect he said: “I see what is happening. It stinks. I can’t do anything about it,
but I care.” And often encouragement is just that simple. People going through hard things often feel, on top of
everything else, that they are a “downer” to everyone else. They know that they are not fun right now. They
know that people feel awkward around them and don’t know what to say. So they feel ostracized and even more
alone. Acknowledge that you see and that you care.
And hand in hand with Acknowledging, encouragement is: Listening. Discouraged people need someone who will
not only acknowledge what they are going through, but will give them permission to talk about it too. Have you
ever been in a situation where people stood quietly and awkwardly around a friend whom they all knew was
hurting, but nobody wanted to say anything for fear of “making them feel bad”? This is absurd. When you are
profoundly hurt or grieved, do you ever stop thinking about it? You wake up with it before you, and lie down at
night to a tortured sleep that even your dreams will not respect. That person who has lost their husband, or has
been diagnosed with cancer, or has a pregnant daughter, or a son in rehab… I guarantee they are thinking
about it. All the time. They don’t want to burden anyone else, so they suffer alone. In most cases they very
much do want to talk to someone who doesn’t make them feel bad for talking about it and is willing to take the time
to listen. Listening is such a simple thing to do for those we care about. But are we willing to take the time to do
it?
And most important of all, encouragement is: Offering Hope. In discouragements large and small, Hope is
everything. The difference between discouragement and despondence is Hope. In our most tragic
circumstances, Hope is the element that makes the difference between giving up and carrying on. My husband
was unexpectedly laid off three years ago when we were in China adopting our son. My fear and panic was
debilitating. Soon into our desperate job search, we did receive word of a company that was interested. As my
days were filled with surviving from minute to minute with desperate prayers, this company’s interest in my
husband was huge. Because it meant Hope. Nothing ever came of that job prospect, but I believe that God sent
it to us at that time, to give us Hope enough to carry on until the next thing did come along. Hope is crucial. With
God there is always Hope. In our heads, we know this, but when tragedy strikes, the Enemy does everything he
can to convince us that all is hopeless and that we should just give up. In our weakened state we are more than
ready to believe it. Pray for those who are grieving. Pray WITH those who are grieving. And remind them there
is always Hope.
There are many other aspects of what encouragement is and is not. It is not being judgmental or patronizing; it is
thinking of appropriate ways to help out, and being patient with progress. But at the heart, it all begins with this:
Be There. Acknowledge. Listen. Offer Hope. These things are not difficult. They don’t take a degree in
theology or a big investment in time or money. There is someone in your life right now who needs
encouragement for some reason big or small. Who is it, and what will you do?
“Encourage one another, and lift each other, just as, in fact, you are doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11
I don't know which I enjoy watching more, the kids playing soccer, or Canaan
coaching. Man I love this boy! He is the cutest coach in the world and he loves
these little girls. And I think they love him too! He is so proud of them. And I am so
proud of him!
coaching. Man I love this boy! He is the cutest coach in the world and he loves
these little girls. And I think they love him too! He is so proud of them. And I am so
proud of him!
Technically, they have to
have mouthguards in their
mouths to play. Nobody
said anything about having
them over their teeth.
have mouthguards in their
mouths to play. Nobody
said anything about having
them over their teeth.
Joy usually behaves okay
at soccer. As long as I
bring something for her to
eat, she's a happy girl,
which goes for most of her
waking hours.
at soccer. As long as I
bring something for her to
eat, she's a happy girl,
which goes for most of her
waking hours.
The girls have won four out of five
games so far, and the boys have won
all of theirs. Look at my sweaty girls
after playing so hard!
games so far, and the boys have won
all of theirs. Look at my sweaty girls
after playing so hard!
| I think even the parents like this coach!! |
Oh my! Now here is one
handsome and smiley boy!
handsome and smiley boy!
One
morning's
pick of
strawberries.
Pretty cool!
morning's
pick of
strawberries.
Pretty cool!
And now Isaac has decided he wants to learn how
to ride a bike without training wheels. Who better
for the task than Hannah?
to ride a bike without training wheels. Who better
for the task than Hannah?
Showing him how it's done...
And despite the helmet, elbow
guards and knee guards, we still
have an injury.
guards and knee guards, we still
have an injury.
Oh sweet goodness. And why
does this girl get away with so
much? Look at that pouty face.
I can't deny her a thing. Eden is
sad because she is trying to
skateboard and it is not turning
out how she wants it to.
does this girl get away with so
much? Look at that pouty face.
I can't deny her a thing. Eden is
sad because she is trying to
skateboard and it is not turning
out how she wants it to.
And my good Hannah, matter of fact as always,
telling Eden that she is not "allowed" to be sad, and
she has to go and keep trying.
telling Eden that she is not "allowed" to be sad, and
she has to go and keep trying.
And she does it!
And Maggie was at the top of the hill,
and was sure that she couldn't make it
down despite all of us calling her down.
She finally went for it and made it all
the way down without falling. And the
subsequent, sheepish "I did it" face.
and was sure that she couldn't make it
down despite all of us calling her down.
She finally went for it and made it all
the way down without falling. And the
subsequent, sheepish "I did it" face.
What a pretty goil!
Now and then I curl
Eden and Maggie's
hair before they go to
bed. It comes out so
cute and curly. I
meant to get some
better pictures, but we
were late for church
and then I forgot to
get some more.
Now and then I curl
Eden and Maggie's
hair before they go to
bed. It comes out so
cute and curly. I
meant to get some
better pictures, but we
were late for church
and then I forgot to
get some more.
BIRD'S
<---NEST
<---NEST
We were very surprised to see that a
bird made this elaborate nest in the
play kitchen fridge in the play house.
There are four eggs in it. Hope they
make it!
bird made this elaborate nest in the
play kitchen fridge in the play house.
There are four eggs in it. Hope they
make it!
| And finally, here are the target sheets from when Art and Canaan went out for their first time shooting. They had a blast, as expected. |
And if you're interested, here is video of Eden dancing. I don't know why, but it brings
to mind the dance of the little girl in "Little Miss Sunshine". But we think it's cute.
to mind the dance of the little girl in "Little Miss Sunshine". But we think it's cute.
The Little Stripedy Caterpillar
Once upon the time there was a caterpillar. But she wasn’t one of those plain brown caterpillars that turn into
dusty moths who eat up your garden or get into your pantry. She was a pretty, stripedy caterpillar – a black
Swallowtail caterpillar. Her butterfly mom and dad loved her so much and gave her all the parsley she could hold
and everything she could want. She would chat with her butterfly mom for hours and her mom would tell her
about how someday she would be a big, beautiful butterfly with intricate gold and blue designs shining on her
delicate, iridescent wings as she fluttered over the world and began her life of drinking nectar and pollinating
flowers every day. And the caterpillar had many lovely days of dreaming and learning and eating parsley and
playing with her caterpillar brothers and sisters.
One day the caterpillar’s mom came and told her that it would soon be time to get into her cocoon. It was very
exciting. The little caterpillar crawled out for a little bit more parsley to get ready for cocoon day. As she was
chewing her lunch, a slug came by with his friends: a centipede, an earthworm, a grub, and a maggot. They were
very friendly and struck up a conversation with the caterpillar. In her excitement, she shared with them about her
upcoming adventure to butterflydom. But her new friends’ reaction was not quite what she had expected.
The slug said, “You’re going to squeeze yourself into a little brown cocoon? Won’t you be all squished up and
uncomfortable? ”
The centipede said, “You’re going to hang on a branch for how long? That sounds boring! Who’s got that kind of
time?”
The earthworm said, “What’s so great about butterflies? I think you’re absolutely gorgeous the way you are! I
wish I had beautiful stripes like that! How come your parents can’t just accept you the way you are?”
The grub said, “And anyway, what are you going to do when you are a butterfly? Go around landing lightly on
flowers? Flit gracefully from flower to flower pollinating them? What a drag! Nobody does that anymore these
days. Get with it!”
And the maggot said, “And children will run after you trying to put you in a jar! What kind of life is that? Stay with
us! Don’t you see we love you just the way you are? We won’t make you do all that hard stuff. You can just sit
around with us and eat all day and do whatever you want. We aren’t like your family; we won’t ask you to be
anything more than what you already are. We accept you for YOU!”
So her new friends invited the caterpillar to come and live with them. And the caterpillar went with them because
she loved all the attention and admiration, and she liked the idea of not having to do anything hard and not
having to think about anyone but herself. She paused for just a moment and thought about her butterfly mom
and her butterfly dad and her stripedy little caterpillar brothers and sisters ... but then she quickly realized that if
she was going to stay a caterpillar, she didn’t need to think about them anymore, or anyone else for that matter;
all she had to think about was herself! She didn’t even need to say good-bye! She was ecstatic!
So the caterpillar lived for a while with the slug and the centipede and the earthworm and the grub and the
maggot. The slug slithered along through the garden smearing a trail of slime for the rest of his days. The
centipede – who was not a cute little schoolyard centipede, but a big, pincy-wincy, poisonous centipede – wriggled
off to seek out unsuspecting victims. The earthworm continued its stable and useful life of eating dirt and aerating
soil, but was ruined with envy for the caterpillar’s colorful stripes and lived out a life of self-pity and discontent.
The grub turned into a beetle and began a hectic life of diligently destroying farm produce. The maggot
eventually turned into a fly and flew away to feast on rotting garbage, various stages of fecal matter, and the
occasional undefended picnic platter. And the pretty little caterpillar? She died alone in the garden and was
soon forgotten by everyone (except the very sad mommy butterfly who prayed for her everyday and grieved for
the tragic loss)... because she was never meant to be a slug or a centipede or an earthworm or a grub or a
maggot. She was meant to be a beautiful, free-flying butterfly, and trying to be anything else was just plain
dumb.
The End. (hopefully not)
Once upon the time there was a caterpillar. But she wasn’t one of those plain brown caterpillars that turn into
dusty moths who eat up your garden or get into your pantry. She was a pretty, stripedy caterpillar – a black
Swallowtail caterpillar. Her butterfly mom and dad loved her so much and gave her all the parsley she could hold
and everything she could want. She would chat with her butterfly mom for hours and her mom would tell her
about how someday she would be a big, beautiful butterfly with intricate gold and blue designs shining on her
delicate, iridescent wings as she fluttered over the world and began her life of drinking nectar and pollinating
flowers every day. And the caterpillar had many lovely days of dreaming and learning and eating parsley and
playing with her caterpillar brothers and sisters.
One day the caterpillar’s mom came and told her that it would soon be time to get into her cocoon. It was very
exciting. The little caterpillar crawled out for a little bit more parsley to get ready for cocoon day. As she was
chewing her lunch, a slug came by with his friends: a centipede, an earthworm, a grub, and a maggot. They were
very friendly and struck up a conversation with the caterpillar. In her excitement, she shared with them about her
upcoming adventure to butterflydom. But her new friends’ reaction was not quite what she had expected.
The slug said, “You’re going to squeeze yourself into a little brown cocoon? Won’t you be all squished up and
uncomfortable? ”
The centipede said, “You’re going to hang on a branch for how long? That sounds boring! Who’s got that kind of
time?”
The earthworm said, “What’s so great about butterflies? I think you’re absolutely gorgeous the way you are! I
wish I had beautiful stripes like that! How come your parents can’t just accept you the way you are?”
The grub said, “And anyway, what are you going to do when you are a butterfly? Go around landing lightly on
flowers? Flit gracefully from flower to flower pollinating them? What a drag! Nobody does that anymore these
days. Get with it!”
And the maggot said, “And children will run after you trying to put you in a jar! What kind of life is that? Stay with
us! Don’t you see we love you just the way you are? We won’t make you do all that hard stuff. You can just sit
around with us and eat all day and do whatever you want. We aren’t like your family; we won’t ask you to be
anything more than what you already are. We accept you for YOU!”
So her new friends invited the caterpillar to come and live with them. And the caterpillar went with them because
she loved all the attention and admiration, and she liked the idea of not having to do anything hard and not
having to think about anyone but herself. She paused for just a moment and thought about her butterfly mom
and her butterfly dad and her stripedy little caterpillar brothers and sisters ... but then she quickly realized that if
she was going to stay a caterpillar, she didn’t need to think about them anymore, or anyone else for that matter;
all she had to think about was herself! She didn’t even need to say good-bye! She was ecstatic!
So the caterpillar lived for a while with the slug and the centipede and the earthworm and the grub and the
maggot. The slug slithered along through the garden smearing a trail of slime for the rest of his days. The
centipede – who was not a cute little schoolyard centipede, but a big, pincy-wincy, poisonous centipede – wriggled
off to seek out unsuspecting victims. The earthworm continued its stable and useful life of eating dirt and aerating
soil, but was ruined with envy for the caterpillar’s colorful stripes and lived out a life of self-pity and discontent.
The grub turned into a beetle and began a hectic life of diligently destroying farm produce. The maggot
eventually turned into a fly and flew away to feast on rotting garbage, various stages of fecal matter, and the
occasional undefended picnic platter. And the pretty little caterpillar? She died alone in the garden and was
soon forgotten by everyone (except the very sad mommy butterfly who prayed for her everyday and grieved for
the tragic loss)... because she was never meant to be a slug or a centipede or an earthworm or a grub or a
maggot. She was meant to be a beautiful, free-flying butterfly, and trying to be anything else was just plain
dumb.
The End. (hopefully not)