An amphibious adventure

Abby only wanted to pet a frog.

She started asking months ago, around the time her dad pointed out that the croaking she heard in the backyard was evidence that there were frogs back there. Seeing and hearing them wasn't enough.

My daughter needed to touch one. I know, because the plea went something like this: "Mommy...I need to pet a frog. A real frog." It wasn't really up for debate. So I contacted the Department of Natural Resources, the state Amphibian and Reptile Society, and a few small-scale rescue organizations to see if I could make Abby's dreams come true. When they all gave the same answer, I knew exactly where we'd be making our next field trip.

And that is how we found ourselves wandering through the Botanical Gardens, hunting for the giant bullfrogs that lurk in their ponds, admiring the vivid colors of the the poison dart frogs in the conservatory, and enjoying the many displays and learning stations set up for the Garden's homeschool day.

Caleb was fascinated by the demonstration on plants that eat bugs, and enjoyed sticking his finger in a few Venus Flytraps when our guide wasn't looking. He was briefly enthralled by a display of native leaves and tree rings until an enormous red Mack truck drove directly under us. After that, all the excitement of the natural world was pretty much lost.

Jacob dozed in the stroller through the rain forest, the desert, the children's garden, the edible garden and the entire canopy walk through the trees. He woke in time to crawl around the fountain for a while before we headed home. He wasn't so into the scavenger hunt or the chasing of quail through the conservatory like his brother and sister.

And Abby got her wish. At the edge of an enormous pond, we spotted two big eyes staring up at us. They were attached to a frog approximately the size of my kids' heads. Ignoring my advice to make a slow and quiet approach, Abby and Caleb crept forward, flung their bodies across the edge of the pond, and plunged their hands down into the murky water. The frog did not disappoint, and held still long enough for multiple pettings and multiple pictures before beginning a brief ascent up Abby's outstretched arm.

It was, in Abby's words, "the greatest field trip ever."