Tadpole Disaster!!!

We've been raising tadpoles for the last three and a half weeks. 

We got them when they were at this stage from a nearby pond with plans to release them once they turned into froglets.

It has been such a wonderful learning experience to see the tadpoles growing and going through the different stages.  L colored, cut out and glued this Life Cycle of a Frog.

I also made up some three part cards for her with real pictures.

 L couldn't wait until they got "gills"

Yesterday we had painters here to power wash the house and our deck before they paint our house next week.  Apparently they used bleach and left the almost empty bottle on our patio table where the tadpoles are.  I noticed the bottle for the first time this morning when L was playing out there

and had a bit of a freak out and took it away.

Well tonight while we were playing out there I went to check on the tadpoles.  The poor little things were all lying lifeless on the bottom of the bowl.  I called L over and after some questioning I got out of her the fact that yes she did indeed pour some bleach into the tadpole bowl.

Ahhh.  It really was an eye opener for me.  She seems so advanced in so many ways but this is such a reminder that she is only three! She doesn't know what bleach is and I just thank God that she gave it to the tadpoles instead of to herself!  The painters will be getting a few choice words on Monday when they come for sure.

I'm also super sad about our poor tadpoles.  I'd gotten pretty attached to them and was really looking forward to experiencing the rest of the stages with L.

Of course L took it all in stride and said "Well we'll have to get some more next spring".  Still too young to really understand.

RIP little tadpoles.