As the day went on, she pushed him in her baby doll stroller, spun him around in our office chair, and I found her at one point in her bed hiding under the sheets with the jar unscrewed “tickling his belly.” She was running and jumping and being her normal, wild 4 year old self with him. After a particularly precarious jump from her bed to Emma’s, I thought she had done him in. He was still, very still, maybe too still. I told her, “Aubrey, you have to be SO careful with the frog, he is just a tiny little guy and you REALLY scared him!”
I got distracted playing with Emma(2) and looked up a few minutes later to hear Aubrey quoting 2 Timothy 1:7 to him… “God hasssth not given you a ssthpirit of fear but power, love and a sssthound mind! God is with you, do not be afraid!!” (I repeat this verse to her at night when she says she is scared.) I busted out laughing to hear her getting her preach on to the frog! She said “Momma he’s moving!” Whew! Disaster averted! (Or so I thought.)
We woke up this morning and Fred was lying flat on his back with his arms and legs stretched out…not so good. Aubrey said “Shhh, he is sleeping!” Well, obviously I couldn’t let her take a dead frog to school (unless Mrs. Emily would like to have a Froggy Funeral, for the letter “F”…probably not!) So I had to tell her that Fred was, in fact, dead. In froggy heaven, with Jesus. She said “OH NO!” I started making suggestions of other things she could take for show and tell. But she kept saying “I REALLY wanted to take my tiny frog!” I told her we could hurry and get dressed and look outside for another one and I suggested that she pray and ask God to help her find a new frog. She said “God will you PLEASE help me find a new frog? Thank you! He said YES Momma!”
So we all get dressed and go marching outside to look for a frog the size of one of my fingernails! We searched the front yard to no avail, with me continually making suggestions of other things she could take for show and tell. Aubrey continued to say “But, but, but, I REALLY want to take my tiny frog!” So we soldiered on to the back yard. By this time I was getting a little antsy, Aubrey and Emma(2) kept calling “HEEEERE FROGGY, FROGGY, FROGGY!” We had about 5 minutes before we needed to be IN the car on our way to school. I looked down and saw the tiniest frog EVER by my foot, I screamed “There’s one Aubrey, get it!” (She does the catching, I don’t touch frogs!) She grabbed him and said “YESSS! Thank you JESUS!” And Emma pumped her little fist in the air and said “ALRIGHT!” I don’t know that ANYTHING has ever made Aubrey happier! 
We ran to the car and got everyone buckled in and as I was backing out of the driveway I heard Aubrey say “I’m sorry your friend died!” As we walked in to school, she showed her frog to everyone she passed, literally, and said “God gave me anudder frog!!” We discussed releasing Fred II after show and tell so he doesn’t meet the same fate as his “friend”, may he rest in peace!
