The Butterfly Pavilion

Regan's final preschool field trip was to The Butterfly Pavilion. She hates bugs, but since Fancy Nancy had fun at the Butterfly Pavilion, Regan was very excited to go. Rosie, the tarantula, lets visitors hold her. Even though Regan's friends both let Rosie crawl across their hand, Regan refused to have anything to do with her. Peer pressure didn't even phase her. This was as close as Haden would get to any of the spiders-I don't blame him-this one was nearly the size of his head!
Neither kid was intimidated by the crab or the starfish that are available for kids to touch. I think the employee cringed every time Haden wiggled his way in between all the big kids to the front row so he could touch the starfish. He knows how to be gentle, but just needs a lot of reminders!

The kids were so funny in the Butterfly room. Regan's friend, Caroline, had been there a few weeks before with her grandpa, who is an entomologist. He had taught her that by holding out her hand and waiting patiently a butterfly would be more inclined to land on her hand. Caroline quickly explained this to Regan and Haden. All three kids would hold out their hands, say something to each other about having to be patient before losing interest ten seconds later with one butterfly and run off in search of another one.

They were eventually successful and both girls got to hold a butterfly! Regan would jump the first few times the butterfly stepped on her hand, but finally got used to it. The little stinker refused to look at the camera regardless of my cajoling.
Haden ran out of patience shortly after Regan's butterfly flew away and kept demanding to go home "right now!" until he found the crayon rubbings of different insects he could do. Thirty minutes and a thick stack of pictures later, I hauled him out yelling that he wasn't done yet.
On the way home, Regan insisted on calling her dad to tell him that she got to hold a butterfly! The trip was a success!