Cockroaches are Cute

"Love has its own instinct, finding the way to the heart, as the feeblest insect finds the way to its flower, with a will which nothing can dismay nor turn aside. "-Honore De Balzac 
 

It won't surprise anyone that knows my family to hear that one of Maeve's favorite attractions at the Butterfly Pavillion yesterday were the cockroaches. The first thing she saw was the glass case of cockroaches, and I mean the thing was just crawling with them, there were tons!  She ran up, pressed her nose to the glass, and said, "Bugs so cute!" in her high-pitched cute voice.  The same one she uses for babies and kitty-cats.

She really wanted to touch them, and also the lobster, but somehow the folks at the Pavillion hadn't thought anyone would want to pet cockroaches or lobsters, I guess.  I decided she was too little to try holding Rosie the Tarantula (and my heart is not strong enough for that yet!) but she did get to touch starfish and a horseshoe crab.  She has always loved starfish, since they look like stars, and really loved touching them.

The best part was definitely the butterflies; I chased Maeve hard and fast to make sure she didn't step on or touch any.  I gritted my mom-teeth because there was a mother and daughter there who kept touching and trying to pick up the butterflies, despite the signs everywhere which warn you that touching the butterflies diminishes their lifespan.  Come. On. Do you really want to diminish a butterfly just because you can't control yourself?  But I was silent, and just kept reminding Maeve not to touch them - perhaps a bit loudly.

Maeve did great, she even controlled herself when she really wanted to touch the butterfly's yummy snacks, as I kept calling their feeding trays that had rotting bananas and nectar on them.  She loved all the butterflies and kept telling me how cute they were.  It was a great outing, and we are definitely considering a membership there.

Looking for starfish

Not touching the butterfly!

Hi Mom!