RIP Lemon the Bullfrog (June 2011-September 2012)

As most of you are already aware of our loss, it is with great sadness I write this post.  The little amphibian that my daughter brought home from a fishing trip has gone to that big swamp in the sky complete with her own mud bath and crickets abundant.  Yes we know ‘she’ was a ‘she’ because of the ear circle being the same size or smaller than the eye.  This bullfrog greatly amused us with her “finger licking good” worm eating methods, which regrettably was never caught on video.  However, her favorite delicacy was definitely the cricket.  Her flitting, rolling eyes and swift snap of her tongue during the hunting process is truly a work of timing and accuracy that will be greatly missed.  Lemon, aka Miss Lemony Snicket – the frog who loved crickets, is survived by a few crickets that marginally escaped her quick action hunt, her adoptive mother who lovingly caught her, brought her home and set up a domestic habitat for her and who also, along with the surviving grandmother (aka ME) searched with a flashlight in the yard the night she escaped from a covered aquarium.  Incidentally, this was an essential search after learning certain toads and frogs can be poisonous to dogs.  It was also during this search she was almost named Houdini, however, when her little cousin was introduced to her this quickly changed.  The adorable (at the time 3 year old) tyke took one look at the bullfrog and said, “She’s yellow.  Let’s name her ‘Lemon’!”  No one could resist and now this is history.  Also survived by numerous members of the adoptive family that really could care less, may she RIP.  Private services were held for immediate family only (aka ME) with entombment in the creek.  Please, no flowers or donations.

If you would like to leave your  condolences you may do so in the comment section below.  If you missed the introduction to Lemon into the household you can recap here Meet Lemon....

Who knows, maybe there’s a career for me out there writing birth announcements and/or obituaries!

Sea Cruise

Many of you have asked to see pictures and the video.  Here it goes.... Ooooeeee Babeeeee, Won't ya let me take ya on a sea cruise!!

It was wonderful.  She had exceptional performances.  Yes, more than one.  Three to be exact.  The one you will see was her first time at Evolve Dance Studio.  It was a "mini recital" so to speak.  Just a few relatives of each of the preschool age dancers.  If you really like this one, I'll post the dress rehearsal performance on the "big stage".  It's also my first time posting a video on the blog so.... here it is!  Enjoy!

Hot Dog and Ice Cream

Whatever happened to “the customer is always right”?  Here’s a good one for you.  While taking a ride during this beautiful holiday weekend, I decided I was hungry for some ice cream.  I thought Sam’s Drive In located in Byron would be a perfect spot to satisfy this desire so I mentioned this to my husband.  He in turn responded with, “Do you want a hot dog?”  While pondering this question he got a little huffy because there was no answer.  What he doesn’t know is that I was really thinking, “What part of ice cream do you get ‘hot dog’ out of?”  To which he would have been more than “huffy” if I would have answered that out loud and which is why I didn’t respond.  Anyway, being the kind, pleasing husband he is we continued on our drive to Byron figuring I could have either ice cream or a hot dog or perhaps even both.

We arrived at Sam’s to find a perfect spot in the shade with the speaker on my husband’s side (a win-win for me).  He quickly decided on a root beer float and I looked over the ice cream list.  Yummy.  It all looked so good.  So he pressed the button and ordered, very distinctly, “One root beer float and one small waffle cone with CHOCOLATE CHIP MINT ice cream.”  The speaker read back the order and gave the amount we would owe.  I could hardly wait.

Then IT happened.  The car hop appeared with the root beer float and waffle cone.  The waffle cone was topped with a very, very, pale green cream.  I handed the root beer float over but didn’t take the cone.  I calmly stated, “I ordered CHOCOLATE CHIP MINT.”  To which she looked at me like I was the nutcase and said, “It is.”  Oh my.  I didn’t want to argue…. yet.   I remained calm because 1.  I had sunglasses on and no spectacles and 2.  It was 90 degrees and the pale green cream was beginning to melt.  We paid and she hopped back inside.  I took my first taste, using a spoon because of the speediness required to eat this thing and quickly realized it was crème de menthe with NO chocolate.  How could she do this to me?  I fished around with the spoon, without the sunglasses on, and still…. NO Chocolate!  “Call her back!” I said. 

Kind, pleasing husband pressed the button and reported, “She ordered CHOCOLATE CHIP MINT and she got crème de menthe.”  Once again the perky little voice in the speaker simply stated, “It is Chocolate Chip Mint.”  Husband quickly backed out before I did something I regretted.  The story doesn’t end here. 

As we women know, a craving is a craving and any ice cream will do if need be, however, there is no excuse for no chocolate.  But I ate it.  And while eating it, driving, and still using the spoon, I’m not sure if it was because we turned left or the wind shifted but in one swift move my dear, sweet, husband was wearing this pale green cream on the side of his face and down his right shoulder saying, “Could you please wipe this off of me?”  I really love him….  But I should’ve gotten a hot dog.