Spike & Levi

With birthdays comes surprises.

Mr. Monkey got a couple of toads.

They have been named Spike and Levi.

We have been learning a lot about toads.  And then in turn, a lot about crickets.  Now I am not only keeping alive two toads, but a whole second box full of crickets.

It's pretty funny to see all of us gathered around the little box watching the toads stalk the crickets.  It's even funnier to see me trying to get the crickets out of the pet store bag and into their box.

Spike and Levi seem to like sitting in their box staring at the crickets in their box.  One even leans up on the wall like it's going to climb out.

We are having all kinds of funny conversations about how toads eat live meat and we really prefer dead meat.  What would happen if their tongues got stuck on the wall because they didn't realize they were in separate boxes.  We chatted about whether or not we would try to save the smallest one if it choked on one of the crickets.  Levi, the smallest toad, is roughly the same size as the crickets he/she/it is wolfing down.

We learned that crickets die in the fridge, need some water gel stuff and a slice of potato to live.  We learned that toads need to be damp and their toad mulch needs to be damp.  Turns out toad mulch is really shredded up coconut shells--the outside hairy brown part.

We have learned that my hand fits in the top of the toad box to put the water bowl back and Chicklet's hand does not.  Toads are a little on the stinky side.

Some of the kids are in toad love, some are in toad horror.

And the humor goes on, as someone asked, is that the ode to toads.

That's how it is around here.