Toads, Roads and Limericks

If you didn't know this about Noah, he is THE BEST at catching snakes, lizards, frogs/toads, butterflies...you name it. Seriously, give this kid a net and send him outside in the wilderness and he is a happy boy. 

The toad in these pictures he caught at church. Yep. Church. In his church clothes. Sigh.

He brought it home and kept it in a cage for a few days. The poor thing was held, poked, prodded, and snuggled enough, I am sure, to drive him batty. 

Sunday afternoon I noticed Frankie was MIA. I also noticed it was awfully quiet upstairs. I went into Frankie's eerily quiet room (that he shares with Noah) and saw a cage with no toad. I called to Frankie (wherever he was) and asked where the toad was. 

Then I saw a little human ball on Frankie's bed, hiding under a blanket. In response to my question, without a word he lifted the blanket to reveal the missing toad on his lap. 

I should have scolded him, but I just couldn't. I tried not to make my amusement too obvious as I asked him to put the toad back in the cage and go wash his hands. That kid...he is our mischief maker for sure!

After being Noah's second pet for two days (he has a pet leopard gecko named Leo) we recommended he let the toad go. So, the kids each held him one last time. Then they let him go and went off to school. 

Fast forward to tonight. I went for a walk with the two little boys. I noticed something in the road that looked a little curious. What I saw, for whatever reason, inspired me to write a little poem. I guess inspiration comes in all shapes and sizes. Here it is:

Tonight on my walk

I had me a shock

When I saw on the road

A poor flattened toad

When I recited my modest rhyme to my family, Joel said if I wrote one more line it would be a limerick, so I added: 

Who would never again go for a walk.

(Yes, I know toads don't walk. I am not poet.)

Later I was in the garage painting my cabinets (that's another story!) when he came in to say goodnight and gave me this:

Tonight to my utter surprise

Found a frog who'd met his demise.

The poor little toad, seems,

Got squished on the road

In heaven is he, eating flies.

He said, "That's a limerick." 

I said, "Show off."

I did say that but I also complimented his awesome skills with words. Seriously, he's so good with them. 

All limericks aside, I really hope the "poor flattened toad" I saw tonight wasn't the one Noah uprooted from its home and became our family pet for a couple of days. Not exactly the fate we all had in mind for him.