My son was home for Spring break from college last week and so we took a trip to the Shedd Aquarium in downtown Chicago with his girlfriend and my daughter. I originally suggested the Natural History museum since I'm not a fish person but I was outvoted. It was fun to spend time with them and see them enjoy themselves, however. Also, Chicago is a great city and I love being able to drive down there and visit for a day.
The Shedd Aquarium itself sits on Chicago's lakefront and the Oceanarium (housing beluga whales, Pacific dolphins, sea otters and sea lions) allows a great view of Lake Michigan.
Fish (some) are beautiful and all but I much prefer a pet that fetches . . .
Waiting for the show to begin . . .
Beluga whales
My, they swim fast!
Feeding time for the stingrays
As I mentioned before, I am not really a fish person. When my son, the budding scientist, was in second grade his teacher obtained tadpoles for the children to observe and study for the Science unit on amphibians. By the end of the school year, only 2 of the frogs had survived. So "Swimmy" came home to live with us that year (1996?) and my son kept him in his room in a fish tank (he's an aquatic frog). My son is 22 now and I can't believe that that darn frog is STILL alive.
When my son went away to college, he handed the frog "torch" to my daughter and so now she feeds and takes care of Swimmy. My son says he is NOT taking that frog with him after he graduates and gets an apartment of his own. My daughter will be going to college in the Fall. Can you see where this is going? None of us has the heart to take Swimmy to a "Frog Farm" or throw him into a pond to fend for himself in the wild so I think my husband will have to inherit the torch because, I'm telling you now, I'M not taking care of it when she leaves. My husband recently came up with a brilliant suggestion - a frog giveaway!! On the blog!! Swimmy is really cute and has a great personality when he's not trying to eat your fingers. Anyone?? Free to a good home but you'll have to come pick him up . . . .
Swimmy
17 comments:
ha, ha, ha, ha! How about your son's girlfriend. Does she like frogs????
No one wants poor Swimmy . . . Everyone I know has said: "I thought that frog died long ago, you mean he's STILL ALIVE??"
I'm not sure he'll get past UK customs!
Your pictures of the aquarium are beautiful. I live in the Northwest,water is all around us here, so I really appreciate the life of whales, dolphins, etc. I remember studying about water life in 6th grade. I made a stingray for my project.
Wow, I didn't know frogs could live that long. He's been such a devoted pet...he must really like it there. Have you asked his school if they would take him back?
That's a great idea! Why didn't I think of that??
I wish I lived nearby. I would gladly take Swimmy in. There will always be a special place in my heart for frogs.
My son has been catching frogs in our pond since he was about 5. He still loves those frogs and I have wonderful stories of him and his frog adventures. My absolute favorite is when he was carrying he lastest catch up to my little decorative pond, holding it gently and yelled out to me that he caught a really pretty one. I asked how pretty and he said....."as pretty as you." The sweetest thing I have ever heard and the greatest compliment from my son. I think you should keep that sweet frog!
or maybe the aquarium !
hey I would be calling and finding out!
Kathie
The acquarium sounds like the go, so everyone can enjoy this dear little amphibian!!!
More good ideas, although he probably would not get his own tank, LOL. He'd be a tiny common frog in a big aquarium . . . something might eat him.
I had no idea that frogs even lived that long! My son would adore to have a frog like that! However... we live a bit far away :0)
Poor Swimmy...
I'd forgotten all about Swimmy. I don't think I've ever seen him. He looks big in the picture. So how old would he be in human years?
ahahha,what a good laugh in the morning. A frog- giveaway! You will get sooo many comments (do you really think so?)
WOW Swimmy's a whopper, i didn't think frogs lived that long! brings back memories of going tadpoling with the girls next door, such fun.. but sadly they never grew into frogs..maybe we just forgot to feed them?:(
btw the aquarium looks an amazing place..love those beluga whales!
I would not be a good caretaker for the frog. I made my kids release their giant goldfish Sparky in a local creek as I sang "Born Free..."
No thank you to the frog offer. Been there - done that! We used to bring home tadpoles from park outings. They usually ended up at school - perhaps a solution?
When we visited Sea World, my son was picked to be in the seal show. One kissed him. After that, his biggest insult was Seal Breath - he said it smelled like bad fish. But what a wonderful experience for him!!!
Your pictures are wonderful. That's hard with the limited lighting in some of the aquariums.
CALL THAT TEACHER TODAY! She needs that frog back in her classroom. She needs to know what she did to you! Or perhaps Swimmy needs to model for a quilt. I think we need to break you out of this old stuff and you should do a wild applique of Swimmy -- hum turquoise, lime green and very light green. Maybe blue borders. I can see it now. And, then you can add some of those strange tube looking things. Hey, there's an idea for your next book.
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