In our morning chores last week, I sent Zoe out to put some cards in the mail.  Upon her return, she did what she always does, left the front door open (the screen door was closed).  I walked into the living room, saw the door open, and started to ask her to please close it but stopped when I noticed something big and brown on the floor.

Hmmm, I thought,  that is a huge leaf she brought in.  I took a few steps closer and realized it wasn’t a leaf but a frog.  I know frogs aren’t yucky.  I know they are just one of God’s creatures and can’t hurt.  But for some reason, I also knew I wasn’t about to try and pick it up.

So, I called the boys to see if they would pick it up and take it out.  Nary a one volunteered (this is the time I miss living out in the country and near a creek where they can do country boy things).  So, I took Zoe out the back door and towards the front with the intentions of shooing it out of the house.

By the time she got to the front door, the frog had jumped under our shoe bench.  The bench is too long to pick up and shoo him out (especially since my brave knights wouldn’t fight for me), so I did the sensible thing.  I called Mark.

He laughed and told me to move the bench away from the door and put a bucket on top of him.  I put the phone on speaker so Mark could laugh at our adventure and found the necessary supplies.  Since I couldn’t move the bench and place the bucket at the same time, I handed the bucket to Ace and asked him to put it over the frog.

It’s at this point that all children who are capable of walking (that’s five if you’ve lost count), were gathered around the bench awaiting the viewing of “the frog.”    I moved the bench and as I did so Ceili Rain plopped down next to the frog.  She had no clue what was going on and just sat there.  Ace froze and wouldn’t drop the bucket.  Even after much encouragement, he wouldn’t move.  I grabbed the bucket and plopped it on him.

Then, after talking to Mark, I grabbed a file folder and pushed it under the bucket while “the frog” hopped on top of it.  And then I (all alone but with five little followers) carried the folder, bucket and frog outside to where his home should be.

After lifting the bucket, it was at this time that Liam bucked up and got the courage to touch the frog.  He touched it several times but never picked it up.  My poor, sheltered, posh little boys.  Next summer we shall spend every day in the woods chasing and identifying different creatures of various sizes.  Yeah right…it’s too hot for mama to do that!  Oh Mark…

Our Little Friend

Liam got brave after the frog made it out of our house.  He decided to touch it.  Several times.

While waiting on Bryant, my best friend planned to come visit.  We were thrilled and prayed and prayed Bryant would come while she was here.  Alas, God said no to those plans.  But, while they were here, we had a wonderful visit.  My kids didn’t know they were driving nine hours just to visit us.  So, it was exciting to see their reaction when they pulled up.  The kids were pretty pumped and even though they hadn’t physically been in contact with each other (only visually…through Skype) they all picked up right where they left off!  Running and screaming and singing, “There are no cats in America” only a few minutes in to the visit.

Our husbands both speak computer…and so…this is what we found the first night we were all visiting.  Mr. John came up a day ahead because he had to work at the local fort this week.

This is what you do with nine kids when it’s bedtime.  Actually this is only six of them.  The crib kids (or ones who need to be contained during the night…except one of them who was still awake), got to sleep in pack n’ plays and various ensembles throughout the visit.  Now, here’s the ages of our kids…7, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 1.  Yep…just imagine the decibel levels which led to this the following day:

We loaded them up as soon as a jumping place opened and threw them in.