When I opened the door into the garage the first time this morning, I thought I saw something jump. But it was dark in there so I quickly pushed the button to raise the door, went back inside and forgot about it. Until minutes later when I reopened the door and screamed and shrieked hysterically at what turned out to be a frog hopping on Daddy’s tennis shoes. The funniest part–the kids both stood there staring at me blankly wondering why Mommy was acting like such a lunatic. I realized instantly that my overreaction was setting the stage for them to get hyped up unnecessarily in the future. You see I have this HUGE fear of mice, one I have tried unsuccessfully many times to mentally come to terms with. Then something like this happens and reminds me I have made zero progress. “It’s just a frog and it’s not scary so Mommy is sorry I screamed,” I calmly explained to them immediately following my outburst. They were too busy getting an up close look at the animal they both enjoy seeing in books and, obviously, in person. “Stomp your foot by it so it hops out to the drive,” I told Charlotte. She complied and the frog eventually made its way to another corner. “He’s behind the tires with his friends,” she told me. Sounds good to me… but I still left the garage door open so the frog would realize he and all his friends need to hit the road before I run them all over with MY tires!
Posted under Baby Thomas: Month 26
This post was written by tthomas on September 1, 2010
Two days ago I thought to myself that I hadn’t seen any frogs………..yesterday I saw one, had been run over by a vehicle. Now I’m seeing them all over the place hopping around. Saw a huge bull snake today, now that makes me nervous. I don’t like mice either. Hope your frogs found a new home.
No worry – I have always reacted that very same way in front of my kids over little creatures. I am not at all fond of them! But you have a boy and NOTHING changes the fact that little boys LOVE little creatures. That whole saying “snakes, and snales and puppy dog tails; that’s what little boys are made of” is completely true. Now our boys get a kick out of the fact that I am not best friends with every creature they bring home!
Don’t feel too bad, Tara. When we moved into our new home a month ago there was a frog in the garage. They don’t bother me, but I don’t want to touch them. Asked my hubby to do it and the next thing I know he’s shooing it out with his baseball glove!!
Thats funny! My three girls love frogs. We have found so many of them this summer. They all land in a bucket or pool made into the frogs new home with rocks, grass and water. One afternoon my 3 yr old ran around outside with a baby frog perched on each index finger for hours! After they are all sound asleep DADDY sets the frog free. As for me, I dont go near them!
I share with you my fear of mice! When my boys were small, they would just laugh at me as I frantically ran to stand on a chair. I have finally matured; I am now able to take a mouse out of a trap using gloves and a pliers!
I don’t like mice either, but I’ll take them over a bat in the house any day! Before I was married and was living in a rented house in another town, I had two experiences with them. One was in the middle of the night when I heard some kind of scratching noise. I saw something by the window on top of the curtain. Didn’t put on my glasses (and I’m blind as a bat–ha,ha) and got within 6 inches to see what it was. Screamed when I saw the bat, ran out of the room, shut the doors, and called my friends at 3 in the morning to help me out. Was VERY happy to move out of the house after the second experience!
Went to choir practice last night at church. The minister got out a tennis racket to stun the bat that was flying around inside. He got it outside before it freaked everyone out. Got home to find a cute little tree frog clinging to my front door. That’s the first frog I’ve seen this year, but the toads have been hopping around all over the place. I just hope they’re all eating bugs and mosquitoes. I’m not scared of any of them (after the initial movement they make, which startles me) and I’ll pick up toads and frogs just give me gloves for mice and bats. Guess that’s what comes from being the daughter of a veterinarian.
I hate mice…can smell them whenever they are around and I look until I find them. I can set a trap and even pick it up, but I’m not touching that mouse for nothing!!! A pliers works good!!! I’ve never dealt with a live snake in the house but we had a farm cat once that drug one up from somewhere and when the cats were “done” with it, there were these little balls lying on the floor of the garage. Well, closer examination showed they were translucent eggs with baby snakes inside. They were all dead by now so we opened the sac they were in and rolled out one of the snakes and that thing was 6 inches long before it was born!!! I’m thinking now it must have been a small bull snake…too big for a gartner snake. Glad I didn’t see the “mommie” snake. Also not a fan of muskrats who come up to the eat the cat food and then look at like you’re an idiot when you try to shoo them away from behind the safety of the glass deck door…haha! Glad to have moved to town…lots less creatures to deal with.