The return of the caterpillar

So, I put the caterpillar (a tomato hornworm) in a box and taped the lid shut and left it in Steve's office to show the kids.  In the morning, to my horror and disbelief, the box was open and there was NO CATERPILLAR inside it!  Only the remains of a a couple of half-eaten green tomatoes.  

"STEVE WHAT DID YOU DO?  DID YOU OPEN THE BOX AND NOT TAPE IT BACK?"  

"No dear, you did not tape it."

"YES DEAR, I'M SURE I DID.  LOOK!  HERE ARE THE TAPE REMAINS!"

We both realize, it is neither here nor there.  The fact of the matter was, there was a caterpillar on the prowl in our house.  

I looked around Steve's office and couldn't find it, but figured it would just crawl behind his computer and die at some point and so I put it out of my mind.

Later that afternoon, while Andrew was in the bath, I heard a shrill and startled scream.  I heard the word caterpillar and so myself and the boys ran to investigate.  To my startled amazement, Andrew had discovered the caterpillar!

We were all amazed at the distance this caterpillar had traveled.  Poor Andrew.  It must have scared him quite a bit, for he had not yet seen the caterpillar and would not have been expecting to see such a sight in the bath tub with him, especially with that great big horn and everything.  

So we got online and read that we could put it in a jar and it would turn into a chrysalis and then a moth.  The boys promptly went and picked two green tomatoes for it to eat.  I wasn't very happy about giving it two MORE of my tomatoes.  Oh well.  We all grew quite fond of him anyway. 

He has some amazing chompers. 

Andrew sat there and watched him eat for quite a while and even petted him.  It was so cute.

Look closely at the left side of the table near the magnifying glass.

Yes, that is dear caterpillar, eating dinner right along with us.  What is it with us and insects at the dinner table?