Captain's got competition

We have a new pet, at least for a few weeks. Last night we were wandering along down by the creek when we came upon some milkweed. I told the kids that I used to find monarch caterpillars on milkweed when I was a kid, and take them home to raise them. Liam was quick and found one of his own right away. We snapped off the stem he was sitting on and brought the milkweed home, put it in a jar with a capful of water, and punched some air holes in the lid. When we came downstairs this morning, the milkweed was completely eaten, save for the stem, and the jar was full of caterpillar poop. Like, a LOT of it. More than the caterpillar's body weight and size in poop. Apparently this means all is well. I don't think it will take long for a cocoon to form, since the caterpillar is a good size already and apparently they only spend a couple of weeks of their lives as caterpillars. I can handle cleaning the poop out for a week or two, and the kids were so excited to run down to the water's edge again today to pick some fresh milkweed to feed their new 'pet'. Here's hoping the metamorphosis happens rather speedily, as in, before we take off for some vacation time.