Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Viva La Frogs

There is a major milestone coming up in our home this month, one I was certain I’d never witness. Our frogs, the first of which we got as a birthday present for my son, will turn ten years old. That’s human years. If frogs are anything like dogs, that’s seventy frog years. For such old creatures, these little guys (or gals) can sure still move around.

We thought it would be fun as well as educational to get our son a ‘grow-a-frog’ for his fifth birthday. It works like this. You mail back the coupon and this place in Florida sends you a tadpole that you watch turn miraculously into a frog. From the start, though, this project was beset with problems. It was too cold in February when we mailed our coupon for the company to send a tadpole—it would have never made it, they said. So instead, they sent a sturdier ‘froglet’ with a coupon to mail in for a tadpole once the weather turned warmer.

Though cute, the froglet, which my son promptly, if not originally, named Freddie, was not exactly what we had in mind. The whole point of this frog thing was so he (and we) could watch the tadpole go though its amazing transformation. So when spring came, we sent in our coupon. When the package arrived, we were thrilled. After all this time, we finally had our tadpole. It lasted about a week. I think I may have spotted the makings of a small webbed foot before it keeled over, but that may have been wishful thinking.

I called the company to explain what happened, and they kindly agreed to send another tadpole. When the package arrived, we were surprised to find, not a tadpole, but another froglet, which my daughter promptly, if not originally, named Fredericka. When I called the company again, they were very apologetic. I explained our urgent need for a tadpole. A few weeks later another package arrived. Yep, you guessed it, another froglet. This time my son named it, for no apparent reason, Michael. I made just one more call to the frog company, stressing politely but firmly that they never send us anything ever again.

So that is how we ended up with no tadpoles and three water frogs. I’d never read much about the longevity of these creatures, but figured we’d have them at most for a year or two. Each year, I’m amazed they’re still with us. They’ve somehow managed to thrive in their small quarters, growing to nearly twenty times their original size. They lead quiet, simple lives. They swim, jump, and splash. They come up for air every now and then, making little bubbles at the top of the tank. And they eat this really smelly amphibian food, using their webbed hands to guide the pellet sticks into their mouths. Sometimes they grab onto each other’s slippery bodies, wrapping their arms around their middles like they’re hugging each other (or so I like to think.) They have the most delightful little faces with their beady eyes and wide thin smiles.

My son still feeds them (almost) every day. I change the water weekly, more so in the summer. Our neighbors help us out when we go away, sprinkling food in the top of the tank, keeping them alive. As far as pets go, they are pretty low maintenance. Though they don’t interact with people like many pets do, they are ours and I, for one, am quite fond of them. And here they are, ten years later, swimming around in their tank-home, jumping, eating, and making their little frog smiles. Who would have ever thought? Happy Birthday guys. Here’s hoping for many more.

(This column was originally published on townonline January, 2006)

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