Visiting the Cottage

For the last week, we have enjoyed the beauty and quiet of my inlaws' cottage. It has been a fantastic week. We all love going to the cottage. My kiddos count down the days every time we visit Michigan. From the moment we arrive to the time we leave the cottage, they are outside running. This year was no exception.

When we arrived last Saturday, the kiddos headed to the dock to search for frogs and snails. They uncovered their frog habitat and set to capturing as many as they could. They named each of them and studied their attributes. They had Huge-o, Gargantuan, Megatron, Betty, Froggy, Froggette, Ted, Tim, Sue, Midge, Maggie and many more. There were more frogs this year, but the snails were a bit tough to find. The kiddos would release the frogs and find many of them again. You would think the frogs would get a little wiser. While Eamon was looking for frogs along the bank, he also found a snake. He called me over and we deduced that it was a northern watersnake with the help of a spotter's guide.

With all the dozens of frogs they caught, one did not survive its capture and release. Eamon wanted to bury it, but we decided instead to build a raft and set it afloat in the water. Eamon and Aine wove together a raft and affixed the little frog. They set it into the water and watched it float away. They talked about the frogs life and how to ensure no more were lost.

Intermixed with frog catching was a whole lot of fishing. Eamon has become quite good at attaching bait and casting. He caught a sunfish and skillfully removed the hook and threw it back into the water. He showed Aine and Benton how to cast and then perfected his technique. No other fish were caught, but there was a lot more hook tying, baiting and casting. I enjoyed watching close and then from a distance as the siblings cast with arms interlinked. They really enjoyed their time together.

The rest of the time was filled with coloring, dock sitting, tree climbing and a whole lot of knitting. The latter part of the week had a drop in temperature intermingled with some rain. This limited the frog escapades. Instead we pulled out warmer clothing and ventured outside again enjoying the cool. They played tag, charades, hide and seek and fashioned a swing with some rope. I joined in for charades and tag laughing as they tried to elude my tag-backs. We ate good food which warmed our bodies and the cottage. We talked, laughed and really enjoyed our time away from the distractions of the internet and the busyness of life. There is talk of going again once Daddy returns before we head home. I think this may just happen as the colors and quiet of the cottage are perfect, and we all love it there.