Writer Lady

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He's just a tadpole

As I'm writing this, Jack is out by the koi pond catching tadpoles. We're going to pick up our new aquarium after his haircut, and then, when we get home we'll transfer his tadpoles from the styrofaom cooler they're in now to the new aquarium that will go on the table next to his bed. I'm praying that they live long enough to become the frogs he want to keep as pets. For right now I'm more concerned that they'll die, but later on I'll worry about what to do if they live

Jack's dad brought him here directly from summer camp at the YMCA. Apparently the ice cream truck came today, because Jack has gray streams running from his hands to his elbows. His shirt is spotted with pink and blue. He says his ice cream cone was lollipop flavored. He's sunburned, so I know he didn't use the sunscreen that's in his backpack. His shorts are wet, so I know he was too modest to take off his underwear when he changed into his swimsuit.

I gather all these clues to piece together a picture of the day he spent apart from me.

Posted: Jun 04 2008, 06:06 PM by writer lady | with 5 comment(s) |
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Comments

mike said:

I used to really enjoy keeping tadpoles as pets and watching them turn into frogs. There's something so special in a child's eyes in watching such an ugly fishlike creature turn into an active and cool-looking frog. I hope he's not too disappointed if these grow up to be toads. It's hard to tell at this point but they act like toad tadpoles usually do. You may want to help him get used to the idea of only keeping a couple of them. Feeding all 50 of them crickets and bugs won't be an easy task.

# June 5, 2008 5:55 PM

Amore said:

Jack is lucky to have a mom like you!!!

# June 15, 2008 12:23 AM

WomCub said:

I think that activities with living creatures is a great way for children to keep busy.

Will the tadpoles be able to live in any aquarium, or do they need special conditions?

# June 15, 2008 2:58 AM

writer lady said:

Thanks, Amore. Jack and I just came back from a 4-day weekend out of town together (sans Daddy), and I'm so in love with my boy right now--and he with me!

We were both amazed by the tadpoles when we got back last night. Of course they're bigger, but their body shape is also changing, their eyes are visible, their bellies seem to be lightening in color, and some of them seem to have little leg buds.

They're doing fine in the aquarium for now. I put about 7 gallons of pond water and a big clump of algae into a 15-gallon tank. Every few days, I take out a little of the "used" water and replace it with a gallon or two of the "fresh" pond water.

Later this week, I think I'm going to add another 5 gallons of water to accommodate their growth. It's probably also time to think about adding something for them to climb or hop onto outside of the water, and when that time comes, I definitely need to screen the top somehow.

My husband and I have both had nightmares of "The Invasion of the Frogs." This fear might be especially vivid for me because as a kid I lived through the invasion of the praying mantises, thanks to an older brother. I have to take the blame for invasion of the little white mice--a friend and I took pity on a bunch of feeder mice at a local pet store, bought them all, and then tried to hide them in her dresser and bedroom closet.

# June 16, 2008 1:25 PM

emcee christmas said:

feeder mice! haha!

# June 16, 2008 5:30 PM

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