My boys think I am cool because I can catch a frog. I'll take it because I know one day I will be the most uncool person in the world. It's funny the things that can increase your status, no one found it interesting that I learned how to boil the perfect hard boiled egg today (more on this later). First we started with tadpole collecting;
and now we have new pets. I'm not sure how long we will keep these, they have been transferred to a fish bowl and we are changing the water with new pond water every few days. If any start looking like they can't thrive in our bowl, they will be put back.
I enjoy looking at them while washing dishes, until the day I noticed that something was hatching in the water. Mosquito? Any ideas? I know, gross.
This weekend we went on a nature walk and found frogs along the water. I promised them we would come back and catch one to keep overnight. They are not easy to catch, and I was getting performance anxiety, but we caught one;
One huge Bullfrog; which are becoming a problem out here because they eat everything, including the cuter smaller frogs.
I talked them into returning the frog after they got to hold it once. We didn't have an aquarium set up and it would be cruel to leave it in the bucket overnight. I've learned from our experience with the tadpole by mail disaster, that frogs can get sick from whatever touches their skin - your hands should be clean, all buckets free from any chemical residue (new is better), and chlorinated water is bad for them - use distilled. They released the frog back into the pond and I was proud that they understood why.
I want them to be kids who are not afraid of bugs or getting some swamp water on them to catch a frog...I think we are on the right path.
The hard boiled egg that is not green. Maybe I am the last person to learn this, but I read this in a cookbook today, tried it and was impressed: place the eggs in cold water, covered 1-2 inches, when the water begins to boil cover the pan and reduce the heat for 30 seconds, then turn off the heat and let sit covered for 13 minutes. Run under cold tap water for 5 minutes, then put a small crack in each egg, return to cold water for another 5 minutes and peel.
all those greens are killin me, anne. so lovely.
my son is very very VERY impressed with the frog. and i am very very VERY impressed with your catching of the frog. i would have no idea how to go about that feat.
you are not the last person to hear that hard boiled egg trick. i am. i'm definitely trying it out.
Posted by: sarah | May 27, 2009 at 09:38 AM
That is AMAZING!
Posted by: Crystal | May 27, 2009 at 10:06 AM
that is one HUGE frog! it looks all plastic in that 6th photo!
maybe you should give the tadpoles a rock to climb, for when they suddenly get those teeny tiny legs.
i didn't know there was a trick to hardboiled eggs. what goes wrong? i boil mine for 8-10 minutes and they're just like they're supposed to be.
Posted by: therese | May 27, 2009 at 01:01 PM
dang, you have bullfrogs? wow.
Posted by: Tracy | May 27, 2009 at 01:23 PM
I have NEVER seen a frog that big in my life. MAN, I would be scared poopless to hold it!
Posted by: Paper Dolls for Boys | May 27, 2009 at 06:02 PM
What a great nature study! We are gonna look for tadpoles in the creek down the road. That's real talent catching that bullfrog!
Posted by: Amy S. | May 27, 2009 at 11:50 PM
WOW! Those are huge frogs! My boys would totally think you were cool for being able to catch a frog. You rock ;)
Posted by: marjorie | June 02, 2009 at 11:17 PM
WOW! Those are huge frogs! My boys would totally think you were cool for being able to catch a frog. You rock
Posted by: Round and Brown | June 30, 2010 at 03:58 AM
I just did a search trying to find out what kinds of frogs our big tadpoles will turn into, and I found your blog. I have 3 boys, and we have a vivarium set up- 1/2 rocks/land, and 1/2 water. We have a store bought green and red bellied frog, and a toad we found outside, we'll be raising crickets to feed them over the winter (here in WI) and I too catch frogs and tadpoles. You should have seen me upto my ankles today in the mucky, swampy mud! hahaha At 37, I'd say I'm "cool" too. hahahaha course, I used to swim in swamps and ponds with a friend of mine to catch all sorts of critters. I have to say though, I am sooooo jealous of that big bullfrog!! He is soooo cool!!! Send me one!??!?! LOL J/K Great pics! No matter how much I try to tell my boys they can't keep this creature or that creature, they all bawl their eyes out. So.. we decided to get a decent setup for them so they can watch them whenever they want, BUT, not play with them. ;)
Tara
Posted by: Tara Owen | July 02, 2010 at 03:48 PM