Caterpillar Chronicals

Once upon a time (September 2024), our kids found a little caterpillar on the dill plants in our garden.  They quickly fetched the bug house (one from my childhood) and gave the caterpillar everything it could possibly want (including lots of dill...which it obviously enjoyed - it was very hungry, of course).  Knowing what would likely come next in the caterpillar's life cycle, I immediately ordered a butterfly habitat (which very closely resembled my college-days collapsible clothes hamper).   It was to arrive in a couple days.

Thanks to Google, we identified the critter as a black swallowtail caterpillar (affirmed by their documented attraction to dill plants).  The article mentioned that once a caterpillar's chrysalis is formed, it could either hatch in a couple weeks or it could potentially winter inside the chrysalis for several months - something I read over, but didn't necessarily consider happening.  (Narrator: She should have considered this possibility.)

(caterpillar is at the far right of the bug house)

As luck (or Amazon's timing) would have it, we only just missed getting the caterpillar in the butterfly habitat before it built its chrysalis.  Instead, it formed it in the little bug house...with the tiny door...which lead to plenty of late-night anxiety for me.  What if the butterfly couldn't get out of the house once it emerged?!  What if it emerged and harmed itself trying to fly around in there?!  What if we have to demolish our beloved bug house just to set the butterfly free?!  I tried to put these thoughts to rest and know that we would cross that bridge when we came to it.

It stayed here for a long time anchoring itself, at which point I knew we were too late to transfer it to the butterfly habitat.

Perhaps you, too, can see the big white spot at one end of the caterpillar? It reminded me of a spider web material.

Meanwhile, the chrysalis just hung there - in the bug house (with the door open)...in the butterfly habitat(the size of a clothes hamper)...in our dining room (by a window, per the advice of a friend and creature expert).  We checked it daily for a few weeks.   The weeks turned into more weeks which turned into months during which we were maybe checking it once or twice, and mostly only when we had to move it when company came, etc.

9/19/25

9/20/25

9/29/25

10/11/25
This was the day I further researched the part about it staying in there till the next spring.

At some point, I stopped taking pictures.  It looked dried up and dead, and I lost nearly all hope that it anything would ever come of it.  I thought I could see spots resembling what I knew about swallowtail wings in there, but also thought it was probably just wishful thinking.  I considered spritzing it with water, setting it outside, or researching anything else that might assure us we would see a butterfly, at some point.

And then...

We were getting ready to head out the door one morning this week, and by the grace of God, I happened to catch a glimpse of movement out of the corner of my eye.  I had no reason, really, to be in that corner of the dining room on that day and at that time, but I am so glad I was.  There was a butterfly in there!  I immediately opened the habitat to make sure that tiny bug house door was open.  The movement spurred the butterfly into action and with some finagling/tipping, it safely crawled out of the house and into the habitat.  Crisis averted.  Phew.  

The empty chrysalis was not extracted in tact, so this is the best picture I have of it.  It had not grown, or anything, since it was formed.  It maybe even shrank...?  

Yes, we are a little disappointed we didn't get to see it all happen.  We had been gone almost the whole day prior, so I'm not sure how long it had been since it emerged.  But also - nearly all interest had been lost and no one had been checking on it with any regularity, so it is to be expected we missed the big moment.  I'm just choosing to believe it happened at nighttime, and we wouldn't have caught it, anyway.  😉  

Of course, upon its discovery, a butterfly photoshoot promptly commenced.  Of course, the pictures through the mesh, etc. are terrible quality and don't do it justice, at all.  Of course, I'm still going to share them.  😁

Go figure, Jacob was gone the morning we discovered it, but he was very surprised and delighted upon his return!

See the little curled-up proboscis?!

The butterfly was very still for at least twenty-four hours, moving its wings only occasionally.  It did crawl around some, but from what I could tell, it never partook of the sugar water-soaked sponge, banana slice, or selection of flowers we provided for its consumption.  Lydia believes otherwise. 😏

At this point, I had (and still have!) so many questions:

• How was it not just a dried up, "crispy" (Lydia's word) thing after all that time?
• How did those big, beautiful wings fit in that itty-bitty living space?  (😉🧞‍♂️)
• How did the butterfly know it was time to come out (I realize it has something to do with circadian rhythms or something, but still!)?
• How did it have any energy to not only emerge, but use its body afterward before/without consuming anything?
• How does this happen in the wild?!?!?  How does a tiny chrysalis stay safe and secure the WHOLE WINTER and most of spring?  And THEN - how does the butterfly stay safe (and secure!) while it dries its wings for a whole day's time?

All these, and more, have been speculated about in our home...and will likely continue to be.  I know we could do research and potentially find some answers, but mostly, we're just excited to ask God when we get to Heaven.  There are so many everyday miracles occurring in and around us; what a privilege it was to get to experience this one so very up-close.  What wonder and awe it instilled in our little family and the friends who were along for the ride, as well (namely, my weekly piano students), and perhaps most of all, what wonder and awe it instilled in me.  I truly can't wrap my mind around this process, and then to think about allllll the systems and cycles and life and rhythms God has created!?  It's just so truly amazing.  

Based on our research, and the butterfly obviously becoming more active, we did set it free after a couple days in its cozy habitat.  It was not easy for everyone, but we talked about how and why it was necessary and good.  Thankfully, the loss of the butterfly was assuaged a bit by the discovery of a baby deer in our backyard the very same day.

#deerdiaries, perhaps?  😉

We actually weren't sure it was alive upon discovery, but then the mama came back and all was well.  Phewww. 😬

I'll leave you with this cheesy, but genuine, prayer:

Thank you, Lord, for sending Jesus, so that we can emerge from our crispy chrysalises of sin and spread our beautiful wings, showing Your glory to those around us before joining You in Heaven.  (Thank you, also, that the baby deer was alive.)

Appreciatively and awe-fully,

Kensy

Favorites of the day:

just some quality time with this girl

❤️

A Day in the Life, These Days

(This account of a day in my life is now a week or so old, but as all our days seem to be simultaneously the same and different, the lapse in posting time has little bearing on the message of this post. 😉)

• was awakened by Jacob at 6:38 a.m.
• This was a few minutes later than usual, because he happened to catch Bryant on the way out the door.
• I have been trying to get up before him (Jacob) to do my Bible study, and have mostly been successful in this new-ish habit, but I took this morning off (mostly because I worked extra on the study the night before).
• read a chapter of Because of Winn Dixie, as well as a picture book requested by Lydia 
• She's not usually up this early - I typically just read a chapter or two to Jacob, and she's sometimes in on some of it, too  - but since she was and made the request, we obliged.
• made breakfast 
• It was Waffle Wednesday, so this meal was frozen waffles, scrambled eggs for J, yogurt and PB for L, and bananas.  They also had some of the smoothie I made for myself.
• (Wednesday is the only specifically designated breakfast day except for the occasional Waffle Thursday, as well.) 
• Lydia was supervising me while munching on a frozen frozen waffle, and Jacob was rebuilding his fort from the day before then working on his independent school work and piano practice.
• did Lydia's hair while she ate
• L requested a princess exercise video, so turned it on for her while J and I finished breakfast 
• They typically do one together and later in the day, but this is how it went down today.
• did my hair and make-up while I drank my smoothie
• J requested an army exercise video next, and Lydia did it with him, so I took the ten minutes to start getting myself ready.
• went through our "morning basket" routine - Bible reading, prayer, Awana verse practice, and picture book
• Today, we did this in the kitchen while they drank their smoothies, because the living room where we typically do it was fortified - literally.
• went downstairs to do our daily calendar and J's math lesson
• Lydia took it upon herself to write all the letters in the alphabet on the dry-erase board. So far, we'd worked on A-H, so she required some assistance while Jacob and I were discussing how to write fractions.

• kids had ten minutes to play in the reconstructed fort while I got dressed and filled water bottles
• went to Mimi's Pantry for Kids for homeschool board game playtime
• I played a couple rounds of Wheel of Fortune with Jacob (This is the reason we went, in the first place - he'd seen the game on the shelf (when we were there for story time the week prior) after he'd just seen the show for the first time.  Knowing I loved the show, he wanted to play the game together.).  
• Lydia played Candy Land with others. 
•  I worked on my Bible study a bit while they both played with others, then had the provided snack and library time.
• kids played in the fort for a bit, then quietly read library books (without being asked) for fifteen or so minutes while I made lunch and caught up on some correspondence
• I was only interrupted once (to referee a fight about which fort entrance was to be used by whom).
• The unsolicited quiet reading happens probably once a week, on average, and it never ceases to feel like a small miracle and true gift from the Lord.
• Lunch was requested mac and cheese (with non-requested but still-enjoyed sides of cucs and strawberries). My lunch was random roasted veggies and bacon and turkey lunchmeat that was on its way out that I threw together with some feta, pecans, and dressing and called it a salad. 
•  We ate outside because it was beautiful and the dining room was also still fortified.
• kids requested an outside rest time, so I assisted in taking out perler bead projects and playdoh with tools to separate work surfaces (along with iPads so they could listen to their audiobooks like they typically do during rest time)
• went inside to spend about fifteen minutes cleaning up lunch things, sending a couple Marco Polos, cleaning the bathroom, and gathering work gloves and tools to go work in the yard
• After about five minutes of working on my own, Lydia joined me in picking up sticks, pulling weeds, and cleaning out flower beds (after I helped her clean up the playdoh things). She was the best helper - doing things without being asked (i.e. bringing over empty buckets when others filled up, finding sticks beyond the one I may have pointed out, and asking what needed done next). 
• Jacob finished his perler bead projects, then he swung while still listening to his beloved audio book while Lydia and I kept working. He asked to go inside after about 15 minutes of this, and then, Lydia did, too. I said, "Sure - just be sure to be kind to one another." 
• I didn't see or hear from them for about 45 minutes while I continued to work outside then iron the perler beads (which took longer than normal, because he used two different kinds or something and they weren't "fusing" as they should have without some special attention...).
• kids heard me coming up the stairs, so my presence was requested in the living/dining room to get a tour of the new and improved fort
• was gleefully informed that Mango the (stuffed) cat had been found two months after her missing person report had been filed
• Phew!
• prepared requested (right on schedule, at 3:15) snack
• I sent them to the front step with it (cashews and Bugles).
• handed the parenting baton off to Bryant (he got home shortly after snack) after kissing him hello
• retreated to the basement (as he and I had previously planned) to practice my "audition" music for worship team at our new church
• I was also able to deal with a few items of business and correspondences from earlier in the day as well as write Jacob's independent work list for the next day. 
• This all took about an hour, and afterward, I went outside to see their progress on various projects.
• squeezed in a quick shower while Bryant warmed up the soup I'd thawed from the freezer for supper and got the kids started on it
• Not an ideal day for soup, but we're trying to clear out the freezer.
• watched some of the eagle footage while we finished up 
• This is not something we typically do at the dinner table, by any means, but it's been a regular part of our days for weeks, now, and they wanted to show Bryant the babies.

I don't know that this picture was from the exact day we watched, but I just have to share here. 
She had three wiggly babies under there for literal hours! 
After the winter we've had, I could sooo relate to her (though it made me even more thankful for our warm, spacious home).  Bring on the memes!

• cleaned up from supper, got the kids' things ready for Awana, then saw them out the door before I left to attend Bible study (6:30-8:30)
• got home and debriefed with Bryant
• checked on some potential event tickets, reviewed my daily to-do, and checked on tomorrow's list
• found out there were no new episodes of our show (The Rookie) available
• Bryant decided to catch up on some reading, and I decided to document this day, because it's these details that are so difficult to distill when someone asks, "What have you been up to?" or "How was your day?" So, I thought I'd just get it all down on "paper" while it was somewhat fresh.
• set tomorrow's alarm and turned out the light around 10:30 p.m.

If you made it this far, kudos and thanks to you!  This - these seemingly insignificant days and the rollercoaster of emotions, both in and outside of myself - is all part of my job, my calling, right now.  Raising up our children to know and love the Lord and to love others is seemingly the simplest job description, but man - the job sure entails a lot, to say the least.  It is, however, the most important thing I can be doing and the most important thing I will ever do, and viewing life through this lens makes it much easier to find joy, meaning, and purpose in these often-mundane details.  Of course, I am not always successful in viewing it all this way, but through ceaseless prayer and with an affirming, supportive husband by my side, I remain grateful and fulfilled in this particular season of motherhood.

SAHM-ly,

Kensy

Favorites of the day:

making new friends (This week is full of play dates!)

Lydia saying, "This is unbearable!"

(The fit during which she declared it wasn't my favorite, but the fact that she used it in context sure was.)

GF Golden Oreos

Momcation + Sibling Love

I'm writing this from a favorite local coffee shop after enjoying some of its most delicious fare (that I forgot to photograph - what kind of millennial am I?!).  For the past two nights, I have stayed in a hotel room by myself.  I went to bed and woke when I wanted, watched what I chose, swam in the pool (which I had to myself, so I also got a pseudo-sensory-deprivation-moment in addition to an uninterrupted workout), ate what sounded best (and didn't prepare it myself), and completed a few pressing and non-pressing tasks (i.e. school-planning and nail-painting).  Plus, I kicked it all off by Christmas-clearance shopping for an entire day!  My only plan that involved someone else was to go see Wicked with one of my piano students.  The time has been refreshing, wonderful, and the gift it was intended to be.

Of course, there was ample photo documentation of most of it.

Bryant's job has required of him an unprecedented (and unexpected) amount of travel in the last several months.  While this has meant I have solo-parented for days, sometimes weeks, at a time, it has also allowed him to strategically accrue hotel reward points.  We can talk more in person about all the pros and cons of his job, if you'd like, but another relevant "pro" to note here is the fact that his office closes for an extended holiday break.  So, between the free hotel nights he has accumulated and the time he had off between holidays, he was able to gift me a "Momcation." 

Wanting/accepting this kind of time to myself has been a mixed bag for me over the past several years.  There was a season during which I longed for it...and then felt guilty for that longing.  There was a time when I felt selfish even thinking about taking that kind of time for myself, especially when so many are not able to do so.  There have been instances when I have thought that sort of extended time would be self-indulgent, frivolous, and unnecessary...even a form of escapism. 

I still occasionally teeter toward some of those feelings, and even did so momentarily during these last couple of days.  By the grace of God, however, and thanks to my encouraging and supportive husband, I have been able to allow myself to relax, enjoy, and truly lean into this time for myself.  I have rested assured that I am not escaping my day-to-day, but rather, relishing in the treat that is a change of pace, the break from all that comes with stay-at-home-motherhood, and the love and support of a husband who works hard to provide for our family in so many ways.

In other news:

This "footloose and fancy free" time also allowed me to freely (and lavishly) enjoy some favorite gluten-laden entrees and treats before beginning a six-month gluten-free regimen.  Long story short, I was recently diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease (I'll let the experts explain more here.).  Because it is not (yet) a severe case, I will be (under the guidance of a functional medicine doctor) adding some natural supplements and removing some potential triggers in order to help support my thyroid into (hopeful) remission.  While the kids could survive solely on cheese quesadillas (and sometimes do, esp. when Daddy is traveling), gluten is not necessarily a huge staple the adults of the family's diet (Bryant will be joining me in this lifestyle adjustment), so I am not overly concerned about making this change.  I did, however, fully enjoy taking advantage of the excuse to enjoy "all the things!" as a last-hurrah before committing to the new diet...especially in case it ends up lasting longer than six months.

I had started compiling the rest of this post during Bryant's most recent work trip.  Despite some long days and trying moments, I was (and still am) in awe of the privilege it is to watch these kiddos learn and grow and love others (especially each other).  Any one of the following pictures could have been its own post, but since I don't always get around to sharing them in real time, I thought I would do so here:    

We began the ritual of leaving each other notes in suitcases even before kids, and now, the kids do it unprompted. According to Jacob, 5 days gone = 5 notes. ♥

Sunday best + feeling sweet = "Mom, take our picture!"

No words. ♥

My piano (and trumpet!) students and I recently hosted our annual Christmas piano recital at a local senior living apartment complex.  We had a great audience, and all the performers did so well!  

This was Lydia's second recital, though she still isn't actually taking lessons (don't tell her, though...).  She decided what she would perform (and how she would perform it) about 24 hours before we did so.  ;)

The excitement to perform was so real!

the annual wearing of the "music dress"

Of course, we celebrated with cookies afterward!

Taking advantage of a mild December day by visiting two parks was not new news or necessarily photo-worthy.  Her going down this slide on her own (closely followed by her encouraging brother), however, was monumental.  She went a few times with Jacob holding onto her, and though she would not try on her own with my encouragement, he worked and worked with her until she felt comfortable doing so with him right behind her, though not touching.  As you can see, they were both so thrilled afterward.  It was just so very precious.

This is on the way to the car afterward. 
They were talking about how brave she was and how proud he was of her.
♥

Pretty sure this girl is entering her crafting era.  She asked me to make a "Christmas hat" for her beloved Mango, and then, she proudly made tiny bracelets for her.

The kids and I joined a few ladies from church on a visit to an assisted living facility to carol and pass out cards the kids had helped make at church.
Jacob happily performed his recital songs...

...and sang carols like a seasoned choir member (though he hasn't done this before in his life).
Lydia was more reserved, but perked up for "Go Tell is on the 'Mountains.'"

Couldn't help but do this "then and now" after he recently got new specs.  Hard to believe we've been on this glasses journey for six years!

Of course, little sis wanted her picture taken, too.  She got an updated pair of the pink glasses she picked out a year ago!

There was more photo shoot where that came from! 
I had waited a couple years to put those Christmas-clearance hair bows to use.  ☺

Thanks, as always, for reading and caring and being interested in the big and small moments of our lives.  Your love and support are so evident in the ways you follow up, whether virtually or in person!  It is all much-appreciated.  Wishing you and yours all the best as the Christmas season comes to an end (on Epiphany, of course!) and the "dead of winter" sets in. 

Refreshedly,

Kensy

Favorites of the day:

so many things (and people!) already mentioned above ;)

 

Pink Pony Party (and Chuck E. Cheese: Sibling Edition)

I am truly blown away by how rapidly time seems to be passing.  Lydia turned four last month, and she is constantly surprising and delighting us with insight and questions and things she initiates.  As with so many things in life, this is a "both/and" situation, because at the same time, it is so sad to see her baby and toddler moments riding off into the sunset (a preemptive horse pun for ya 😏).  Even so, we all had such an enjoyable time celebrating her - both on her actual birthday and at her party the following weekend.  

She opened gifts first thing...

...and they promptly put them to use.
Jacob was thrilled to gift her a pony Lego set - two of her most favorite things in one!

As promised (and rehearsed), Jacob fixed her hair at "Jacob's Salon" on her birthday morning.

The hair was (surprisingly) maintained all day and through her requested birthday supper at Nick and Jake's.
They were showing horse races (her first time watching) - so perfect!

This sweet girl shared her free dessert with everyone else right away.

The next morning brought horse races for all the new (and old) ponies!

She chose a strawberry cake for her party, and we made one from scratch.

She wanted to help set up everything and was so excited for her guests to arrive!

She helped with decorating the cakes, too!
(This nostalgic mama was glad for an excuse to get her some miniature My Little Ponies.)

♥

Unfortunately, I didn't snag many pictures of the birthday girl participating in the party games without others in the shot.  We started with a (stick horse) Pony Express relay (our kids and the cousins had recently visited a Pony Express museum, so half the participants were familiar with the concept, at least).  Stick horse riding at my parents' house is almost always accompanied by the William Tell Overture on their player piano, so I brought out my trumpet to play this during the race.  As a former trumpet major, I was embarrassed by my practiced-it-once-and-tried-to-play-memorized-while-giving-instructions-and-encouragement performance, but thankfully, the participants were fairly focused on the task at hand and got the gist, regardless. 😉 Ha.

This race was followed by a "horse show" during which participants introduced their tiny horses (thanks to a cousin's surplus from a different party) and took them through a series of moves and tricks the "owners" conceived of on the spot.  I was not sure how this would go over with the range of ages in attendance, but everyone seemed really engaged!  This was followed by (requested) bubbles, lunch, and cake.   

This is a screenshot from a video of the "horse show" - just to give you an idea.  The plastic horses were a couple inches tall, and here, Lydia is running hers over the "jump." (Our homemade balance beam came in handy!)

Lydia is very selfless, so it was really fun to get to make sure she got exactly what she wanted for all the festivities in her honor.  She is beginning to make core memories and connections, and it was really special to see (and hear) her anticipate and appreciate the various celebrations.  We just love her so!

Pinkily,

Kensy

P.S. You may remember last year's party theme was "Pink."  This year: Pink Pony.  Any bets on whether or not next year will add another P to the alliteration?  Pink Pony Princess, perhaps...?  😉

Favorites of the day:

alllll the bday freebies!

an hour of free child care courtesy of the IKEA play place
(this was on day 11/14 of Daddy's work trip)

these sweet siblings

They are both on reward systems for separate things (Jacob's is in place to encourage autonomy and minimize complaints, and Lydia's is helping encourage her to play independently during rest time) and have had their eyes on the top tier prize (a trip to Chuck E. Cheese) since the program was implemented a couple months ago.  Initially, they could not fathom being able to save up enough gold coins (the reward system currency) to cash in for this prize, so to help further incentivize them and foster a sense of teamwork, we told them they could pool their coins and earn the trip together (which also meant splitting the game credits while there).  They were very much on board with this idea (mostly Jacob, who had been there once on his own a year or so ago and was really gunning to get Lydia there, somehow) and worked hard to achieve their goal.  I was glad they earned it when they did, because it was during Bryant's long work trip and provided some great excitement and extra activity!  They shared the game credits willingly and well, and Jacob was so excited to show Lydia the ropes and play the games with her.

This moment left me speechless.  They got on, the ride started, and as they came around after the first rotation, I saw this.  They did not let go for the duration of the ride.  No one was scared or worried - they were just happy to be together, I guess. 💗

This was a motorcycle game Jacob remembered most from his previous visit.

Probably not built for two...or for seven-yr.-olds, but they made it work.

I was actually surprised by how into it all she was.

They were on a "helicopter ride over the city."  
Jacob was looking for Ingredion, a downtown client of Bryant's, thinking they were "flying" over KC. ♥

She didn't want to drive the second truck, but was happy to watch and cheer him on.

This all probably could have been a separate post, but it really was a favorite thing, recently, so I will just leave it here.  Please know that there are countless moments between these two and with them that are less-than-favorites.  They sure tend to run hot and cold.  It is the sweet moments (like these, brought to you by Chuck E. Cheese), however, that I cling to and choose to dwell on ("whatever is good, whatever is lovely...").  These are the moments I pray will live on in their memories; the interactions I hope to foster and encourage; the days I cherish.