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Meanwhile, the Frog Waited on the Tree Until the Coast Was Clear
How did you know that wasn’t a toad? Because SHE has sticky stuff on her and she’s a girl because her ear is stuck on the inside. And because we have seen her before.
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And We Got Candy and a Frog
We put the Happy Father’s Day banner on Friday. Then, we made a brand new set of sailboats for the lake, and used the sails to write letters to dad about our favorite memory. My favorite was the day we got “candy and a frog.”
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Pure Love Lavished on the Frogs
There are less turtles appearing in the metal washtub. We’ve moved on to frogs. More and more frogs ending up in the metal tub, their hands, legs and shoulders. By the way… this is a tree frog. He changes his colors to adapt to his surroundings. How the boys actually spot them, and point them out, I’ll never know. He’s in that picture… can you see him?
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Frogs Don’t Always Make Good Babysitters
We struck out. No babysitter to be found anywhere. So, we headed to the lake with the boys. Maybe the frogs would provide a decent alternative? We hesitated going when we learned that temperatures would soar to the 50s, the snow would melt, and wouldn’t the ice on the lake be gone? What would the boys possibly do with themselves up there at the lake? Surprisingly, the lake was still frozen solid, from last week’s bitter chill. But now it was warm, and this air rouses the animals out of their winter hibernation. It didn’t take long before the boys soon had frogs in their hands. On the frozen lake….…
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Razing Frogs
“Mom, this frog needs to be RAZED.” “What do you mean, RAZED? What does razed mean?” “See Mom, his ear drum is bigger than his eye. That means he’s a boy, and he needs to be RAZED.” “What is RAZED?” “You know, how to stay safe.” “So, we teach them to raze themselves?” “Razed by a girl,” he said. “This frog is still a baby.” Oh, you mean raised. He explained that girl frogs teach boy frogs how to be safe, how to stay away from other creatures that will eat him: He explained, from the book we read last summer: First, I know he’s a baby, because he would…
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The frogs we loved enough to keep
Mom, can we keep him? Sure, a few frogs might be nice, Keepsake of the lake! We picked out the frogs an aquarium was bought, The pet frogs were loved. A piece of the lake now, as real as it could be, right in our kitchen. Food turned out to be our one really big problem; crickets — and that’s it. The store-bought ones died. So the boys dug up their own big, fat, black crickets. They barely fit in each frog’s mouth: black legs hung out! Yet, the frogs were fed. The next problem was, the tank became polluted! The frogs ate so much. The piece of the lake…
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The Ultimate Guide to Fall Home Decor Trends for 2025: Cozy, Modern & Budget-Friendly Ideas
The Ultimate Guide to Fall Home Decor Trends for 2025: Cozy, Modern & Budget-Friendly Ideas From neutral pumpkins and earthy textures to DIY wreaths and mantel makeovers, this guide curates the strongest fall looks surfacing across Pinterest right now—plus easy ways to recreate them for less. Jump to: Cozy Layers & Earthy Textures Modern Mantel Styling (2025) DIY Pumpkin Crafts Budget-Friendly Porch Decor Table Centerpieces for Every Style Neutral & Minimalist Fall Palettes Wreaths That Say “Hello, Fall” Dollar-Store & Thrift Hacks Top 2025 Trends at a Glance Printable-Style Checklist 1) Cozy Layers & Earthy Textures 2025 leans into warmth without clutter: think chunky knit throws, boucle pillows, linen runners,…
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When the Day Was Long
I saw all of those pictures on Facebook. Back-to school pics, kids holding signs marking the year and grade. I gave up trying — I didn’t even give the idea of getting that first day of school pic a second thought, because there would be so much resistance from the boys. Besides, don’t I have enough pictures of them catching frogs, tubing, and being boys? Who needs a boring back-to-school pic? And, the day was so full. It was back to school… And there were groceries to buy for the one going back to college, a car to pack, lunches to pack, a knee to heal. After shelling out $400…
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Fearing Infinity
There was that one day, nestled between all the rest, when the sun lasted long enough to get everything done, and the boys acted like little boys again, taking the canoe way across the lake to spot the fish beds, and spy on the frogs. That was the day we laughed at Charlie, or his nemesis, when he thought he could hide from us by stealthily walking through the weeds — but we could see him with the binoculars. That was the day, when I had to look two, no three times, to make sure that was our neighbor, who never steps a toe in the lake, wearing her swimsuit…
Susiej
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