Splash and Polly

Do you know how hard it is to buy a present for an 8 year old boy who isn't into Legos? 

Really hard.

For Christmas, I got Andrew something called Planet Frog.  It is a little aquarium, and you order tadpoles to be sent to your house and then you get to observe the wonders of metamorphosis.  Andrew's been asking to get a lizard for quite some time now, and we enjoyed the caterpillars we ordered a few years ago...so I thought this would be a fun in between thing.  And I was envisioning the frog being like one of those African dwarf frogs, like they sell at Hallmark and all sorts of non-pet-store locations.  Easy care.

We finally got the tadpoles last weekend.  They apparently won't send them until temperatures are above freezing.  Andrew excitedly helped add our two tadpoles into the tank.  And then we read the directions.

I'm going to have to buy live crickets to feed these things once they are frogs.  We are also free to catch flies or earthworms (chopped up) to feed them.  Um...ew?  And annoying to have to go to the pet store every week to get food?  And they don't even eat stink bugs (a renewable resource at our house).  And to clean the tank, I'll have to wet my hands down and pick up the things and put them in some sort of container with a lid so they don't escape? 

What have I gotten myself into?

Polly (Andrew actually named her Polywag...a Pokemon, for those of you not in the know), is quite large already, and her back legs have started growing.  The kids are FASCINATED.  And I have to admit...it is pretty cool.  I think this morning I see the front legs too.  I think it will blow their minds when this thing actually turns into a frog.

Splash is a little developmentally delayed.  He is smaller and lighter colored, and I have my hopes he may actually turn into an easy-to-care-for African dwarf frog.  Probably not.  He just started getting his legs...and they are not nearly as impressive as Polly's.

I clearly have a favorite frog.

Anyhoo...that's the latest misadventure in my gift buying experiences.  Good thing Andrew's birthday isn't for another 9 months.  Perhaps I'll have more ideas by then...