Ramblings of motherhood, raising a child with HLHS (Hypolastic Left Heart Syndrome), photography, homeschooling, faith, and other bits of kookiness in my life
Yesterday when I wrote the “Unexpected” post, I only added a tadpole photo but not Ribbit as a frog. Its habitat was not picture-friendly, but it’s much better today with a water change. https://lagottocattleya.wordpress.com/2019/01/26/lens-artists-photo-challenge-30-unexpected/
Hello! My name is Ribbit. My favorite things to do are pooping, swimming, eating, pooping (oh wait, I already said that), stretching, playing, relaxing, exploring, and smiling to those who admire my cute face.
The topic of sharing something “unexpected” fit right into a picture taken 3 weeks ago. Thank you Anne-Christine for hosting this challenge. https://lagottocattleya.wordpress.com/2019/01/26/lens-artists-photo-challenge-30-unexpected/
An “unexpected” package arrived in the mailbox. It was the size of an upright tissue box and felt like it held nothing but popcorn inside.
I brought the box in and wondered out loud what it could be. My kids immediately dropped what they were doing and asked, “Is it a package for me?”
The package held a clear cube-shaped box with a plastic bag of water in it. This was our mail-order tadpole for our homeschooling science study this term.
This tadpole was specifically bred in a Florida laboratory, and it has special characteristics: its tadpole body is transparent; and when it becomes a frog, it will live entirely in water and only surface to breathe. This specific breed is called Pipadae found in Africa and South America. The facts sheet clearly explains that these frogs have never been to those places.
Our tadpole may have went through a quicker metamorphosis due to our overzealous attempt to make it happy with natural rain sounds. We learned that tadpoles like the sound of rain, which can be mimicked by slowly pouring spring water into the tank. As I did more research about this, I learned that this sound hastens metamorphosis.
We can’t tell if it’s a boy or a girl yet. If it makes a sound, it’s a boy. If the body size is larger, it’s a female; although I have no basis for comparison. I’ll just have to wait for that sound or lack of it.
And as I was writing this post, I learned something totally unexpected. Pipidae is the family name for the species African Clawed Frog. It is an invasive and very aggressive species that like to eat anything in its path and cannot be released into our local waters. If you can’t care for it anymore, it could be sent back to the supplier or to a pet store for proper…you know….and environmentally friendly farewell. Also, it could live 5-15 years. Gulp. Knowing beforehand that this species cannot be released into the local waters and its long life-span would’ve been helpful information.
You learn something new and unexpected everyday. With all the surprising facts we’re learning, it’s more likely that the kids will remember this frog life-cycle and frog-care study. Also, they enjoy feeding it and interacting with it, but cleaning the tank is mainly my task. .
p.s. I was going to show a picture of Ribbit metamorphosed into a frog, but its water is too cloudy and not camera-ready. I’ll have to take a picture right after replacing the water.
Even though it’s chilly outside, flowers are beginning to make their colorful appearances.
Till now I used the terms bloomed and blossomed interchangeably. I finally tried to clarify the difference and turned to Google. Wiktionary placed the definitions side by side, and from it you could tell there is a slight difference in meaning; it seems like synonyms to me. Maybe you have a better way to explain the difference. If you do, please share!
From Wiktionary
“A flower blossoms for its own joy.”
― Oscar Wilde
Thank you Cee for your Flower of the Day photo challenge! https://wordpress.com/read/blogs/59080076/posts/34683
Gorillas have a pensive and curious look. It doesn’t seem like they would randonly attack unless provoked to anger or felt themselves in danger.
These are only my observations, and I’ll probably never find out from personal experience. The closest I’ll ever get is seeing them at a zoo, which I did last June at San Diego Safari Park.
When we reached the enclosure, gorillas, of various sizes, were eating frozen fruit treats. Just seeing their eating behavior told a lot about their temperaments, especially the largest gorilla covering his or her face with a tall leaf branch. Love the attitude!
Thank you City Sonnet for hosting this challenge!
https://citysonnet.wordpress.com/2019/01/01/january-colors-and-letters/#menuopen
Everyone in the Suh family is finally on the mend from a recent flurry of winter-related sickness. Three out of four of us, excluding Chris, took antibiotics for bronchitis, strep, or a sinus infection. Thankfully I was the last one to get sick.
At the first sign of a cold, I diligently started taking Nyquil, Airbone chewables, and ginger tea before bed to reduce sick time. I was hopeful that this would be a mild cold case, but the persistent migraines made life miserable. I took Advil for that, but as the migraine got worse I’d forget when I took the last dose. So I’d wait it out a few hours more before I take more. Then it finally dawned on me that this might be a sinus infection since it was affecting mainly the head and eye area.
A quick visit to the doctor’s office improved the migraines drastically. The effects of the antibiotics started working and by the second day, the headaches had subsided. Through this experience, I’ve developed more empathy for people who suffer from constant migraines; it’s debilitating and everything becomes bothersome.
The past week was a lesson in forcing myself to rest when I couldn’t let go of all the things I thought I had to do. Today is a new day and I’m thankful for feeling better. Looking forward to healthier times and waiting expectantly for God’s peace.
