Pin ItOver the next little while we’ll be doing a round-up of some activities we’ve done over the summer, in no particular order. This will keep you up to speed with our family, and give us a little time to settle into the new year of childminding and our first year of “official” home schooling.
For our first catch-up story, we’ll update you on our frog life-cycle observations.
After months of raising these little green wonders from spawn, through their hatching, growing, sprouting legs and decreasing tail length, we have been through a lot together. It’s been an emotional roller coaster for Phil and the kids watching them develop into teenagers and young adults.
Phil thought they had grown up enough that they could do with a relocation and renovation to have some more space to roam around. He put his green box back into action, adding some wood and stones for ambiance.
Every day after work, rain or shine, Phil would go out to check on them. But one by one there were fewer froglets. Soon there were only two left. Phil and Tristan named them Kermit and Little Miss Piggy and they could tell them apart. There was a special bond between them.
The day Kermit left the nest was a sad one around our household. Even Little Miss Piggy was looking a little down in the mouth. A few days later Little Miss Piggy decided it was time to follow Kermit into the great unknown and left in the night without leaving a forwarding address.
Their spacious newly-renovated digs still stands empty, awaiting a visit or word of their new lives in pastures new. They say frogs return to the place of their hatching; so we’ll be waiting patiently next spring to see if any return to lay eggs in our garden.
This little life-cycle experiment was wonderous to watch and I’m sure we will be doing it again and again over the years. As the children become older we can chart their growth from egg to escape, and learn more about their biological make-up and habits.
Good luck out there in the big wild world little ones, and don’t forget to drop us a postcard if you have the time!
So interesting! How well you explain this experiment. The frogs are so tiny! Thanks, Carolyn
WHat a great experience for your kids.
It is something our children (and their daddy) are already looking forward to next year!