I love the fact that my kids enjoy being kids and that I know 13 and 14 year olds that still enjoy collecting frogs in the grass and feeding them tepid water and crickets.
Recently my son found a wood frog on the soccer practice field. He was so excited and brought it home in his empty water bottle. He came home and fixed a home for it in his sister's hermit crab's cage (OK the crab died months ago...but hey, no one's perfect) He found moss and a plant for it to "nest" in.
What makes this story even better was watching him google the frog and find out what it would eat, and how it hibernates etc. His 7th grade science teacher is also willing to let junior high kids play "show and tell" and Jack brings it into school and all these kids are excited to see a 4cm wood frog in the classroom. The best was when Jack brought in crickets for the frogs...yes frogs, everyone who found one during the week added it to the little habitat. Nothing like gore for them to ooh and ahh over as the frogs bit the head off a cricket before devouring the whole thing.
In the age of xBox 360 and Nintendo Wii and Rock Band technology, it was just enjoyable seeing kids being kids and getting excited over a simple little frog..
It was also refreshing that my son was so excited about learning that he researched the wood frog and developed a power point to present to his teacher and peers, for the joy of learning....not for a grade.
6 comments:
I love that your kids care about other kids. They collect wood frogs and get excited about the opportunity to show them to hyperactive 5 and 7 year olds. I love that they let these little kids hold their treasures despite the fact that it will most-likely end in a very tragic way and a blood stain on my classroom floor. Most of all, I love that your kids get excited when 3 year olds know their names. They will brave evening-mosquito swarms in order to play on a swing set and make a group of young kids happy.
Casey
I love that I have special people like you in the lives of my children. It's because you are the mother of that 3 year old that makes him extra special. You are an incredibly insightful beautiful person. Thanks for the kind words.
Maria
I love your kids... it sounds like a great movie trailer intro...."in a world where every child was plugged in and tuned out...the Murphy's lived a clever and intuitive existence"....lol
I want a frog now too...I lvoe that its like 1950's americana of catching the frog..mixed with the milennia-esque quality of googling what to feed it...nicely done Jack :)
Maria, that is a great story. I wish I was there to see them.
This had me crying Andrea:
"in a world where every child was plugged in and tuned out...the Murphy's lived a clever and intuitive existence"
Did you know that movie trailer guy is dead? "In a world without that movie trailer guy voice, no film is safe from box office failure...'"
You guys crack me up. "clever and intuitive existence" huh!
Annie, liked your intro...Chris...get working on that screen play...the kids can play themselves..oh..but who to play me??? I know Dee Wallace from ET fame? what do you think?
I just got done reading some "Onion" pieces. The one about the 6 year old looking into the abyss of 12 more years trapped in the educational system had my sides aching.
PS...did you see the trailer for 24? and WHAT IS UP WITH THOSE METS!!!!!!!!
so sad- I know I had just read about the movie trailer guy and I was thinking about him...I've been saying "in a world" every 30-40 minutes for the last four days in regards to something I find funny...to help him live on...no movie int he 80s was complete for me without that trailer voice over
Maria- I know Jack Bauer saving African kids from a militant civil war....it looks like jack is back!!!
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