In February of 1998, our then 4-year-old son Jacob headed off to a friend’s birthday party. When I picked him up at the end of the afternoon, I was surprised to find an unusual item in his party favor bag — a baby frog! The birthday boy’s mom thought it would be fun to give the guests frogs in small jars of water to take home. Crazy, right? Although Jacob was happy, John and I weren’t thrilled to have an instant pet. We didn’t even have a proper tank to put it in, let alone frog food. So I quickly did research online and learned that this sudden addition to our family was an aquatic African clawed frog. With that knowledge in hand, we headed out to the pet store to get the appropriate supplies. Once we got our baby frog set up in his new home on the kitchen counter, Jacob promptly named him Spike.
And now, 20 years later, Spike is still going strong! Plus, out of all of the partygoers’ frogs, he is the only one that is still alive. Why has Spike lived so long? We’re not really sure. Perhaps it’s because we have only used spring water in his tank. Or that we have a cover on the tank so he can’t jump out and go exploring. But I believe it is due to the fact that for all these years, his tank has been front and center on our kitchen counter, right in the thick of things. Spike gets to see us come and go. And I think he likes watching John cook dinner every evening.
Susan
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I love this story and boy, can I relate. When I went back to school to get my teaching certification, I had to write a science paper. I wrote about having worms in the classroom, to show students how kitchen waste could be composted instead of thrown away. After my presentation, those worms and their children, grandchildren, etc., lived in my kitchen for a good 15 years or so. So, I totally understand how things happen, and I agree, having a bizzare pet in the kitchen is a great way to keep them alive.
Happy Birthday, Spike!
Posted by: Susan | February 21, 2018 at 04:29 PM
Sue~ Great story!
Posted by: Susan | February 21, 2018 at 05:19 PM
Well, I am appalled that someone would give a living thing away as a party favor. I am equally as delighted that you taught your children about empathy and responsibility. Congratulations, Spike! You won the disposable pet lottery when you found your way into the home of these beautiful people.
Posted by: Ginene P Nagel | February 21, 2018 at 05:24 PM
Ginene~
Thank you for your lovely comment! So great to hear from you.
Warm regards,
Susan
Posted by: Susan | February 21, 2018 at 05:49 PM