The Tadpole Saga

A few months ago, Alex's Cub Scout troop was working on an achievement that involved tadpoles. The boys would each "host" the tadpoles for a week to observe them as they changed into frogs. Then, at the weekly den meeting, the tadpoles would move on to the next Scout on the list. Sounds easy enough, right?

Hmph.

So, we got the tadpoles back in January. We enjoyed them for a week, got ready to pass them on, and the den meeting was cancelled due to weather. Ok, another week. Next den meeting... cancelled due to weather. Oooookay, another week. Mind you, the little stinkers didn't show any signs of changing into anything. They ate well enough, took care of other excretory functions (ew) and swam around, but their little leg buds stayed the same size, the tails remained, well, tails, and nothing else happened. Okay, one died, but other than that.... So, another week passed by. And then we had the big Kentucky ICE STORM, complete with no power (no power = no heat). Needless to say, den meeting cancelled due to weather. Tadpoles did not become tad-cicles, thank goodness. We eventually thawed and waited for another den meeting. Alas, that was not to be.

When Cub Scouts are Webelos 2 level, they "cross over" to Boy Scouts at their annual Blue and Gold Banquet, which is traditionally held in February. Alex's den crossed over to Boy Scouts this past February. He's now in a new troop. No more den meetings.

Ummm, we still have the tadpoles!!!!

We asked his den leader what she wanted to do with them, and she honestly didn't want them. None of the other Scout families wanted them, either. *sigh* We kept them.

When the weather started warming up, we placed their tadpole living thingy in the window. I figured, "Sunshine, warmth, spring... let's go, FROGS!" All we got, however, was a ton of algae in the water. Ick.

And then, because of the algae, the tadpoles ended up with bubbles in their little bodies! Apparently, this is often a fatal condition to tadpoles. Who knew? They can't swim properly (head down, tail up) when the air bubbles are making them float sideways, they can't eat well, they get tired and eventually... :(

One tadpole's bubble went away, but the other one ended up with two bubbles. He started to go downhill (as much as you can go "downhill" under water.) He would just bob along at the surface, futilely kicking his little leg buds. I mean, seriously? So sad.

Then, yesterday, the tadpole with the bubbles was lying on the bottom of the bowl. If you prodded him with a spoon, he would twitch a little, but that was it. I prepared Alex for the worst. He cried, I cried. Poor tadpole. We figured he'd be gone by morning.

This morning? The tadpole was swimming around the bowl! Granted, he's still sideways, and right at the water's surface, but he's almost chipper! What the heck? So, we've named him "Bob" -- heehee, and the other one "Doug". (I was going to name them Bob and Sink, but that seemed like tempting fate, right?)

"Bob" has become a little metaphor for life right now. And I love that. (Of course, Dory from "Finding Nemo" keeps singing, "Just keep swimming..." in my head, as well.)

Keep your fingers crossed that "Bob" makes it to frog-hood. And stay tuned!