Empty Nest Syndrome

Well, I woke this morning to find that the babies have all left the nest. Here is the most recent picture I took a couple of days ago...I couldn't believe how fast they went from newly-hatched and completely helpless to fully-feathered and ready to go.

The proud parents have been behaving strangely the last day or two - they stayed much closer to the nest than normal and we were able to get very close to them without them taking off. I wondered a couple of times if they were going to launch into the air and start pecking me to protect their nest. Maybe they are just feeling a little perkier now that they don't have 4 infants waking them up at night for feedings? Who knows. But I got some good pictures.


Okay Dad, how's THAT for a freakin' close up? This is actually one of the babies, just starting to explore her ability to jump ship. I snapped this one yesterday, and had hoped that I might be present to witness the little bugger's first attempt at flight today. But, alas, all 4 babies followed Mom and Dad into the wild blue yonder before I got up this morning. *Sigh.*

Guess I will have to go back to blogging about my obnoxious dog and adorable daughters. We have a playdate Thursday at the Lake - I will take the camera!

Electric Slide

We have been going to a local elementary school park in the evenings so that I can walk and the girls can play. It is less than 5 minutes from the house and always deserted. Sometimes Jesse comes with us and I am hoping we can bring Biggie Smalls along one of these days so he can walk with me way over in the grass behind the parking lot.

The slides were like those Eye-of-the-Storm balls - the instant they touched them their hair would stand straight up.
My battery was dying, so this was the last picture I could get! Phooey.
And finally, it never ceases to amaze me how a 140 lb. dog can curl himself into a 12 inch ball like a centipede. He's such a sofa rat.

The babies are here!

How's this for a face that only a mother could love?!

Speaking of Mama, she is never far away, and neither is the Daddy bird, who is red. I don't know what species they are, and they always take off the moment they see me coming, so it isn't easy to get a good look. Dad? Care to take a stab at a little GA bird ID?

These little guys are turning out to be great pets. They cheep when they are hungry or thirsty (which is often,) so Baby has to run down to the garage every couple of hours to feed them and change their water. I love that, because they are so gentle and sweet that she can take care of them by herself, and she is learning a lot about the responsibility that goes with a pet. They love to swim in the pond and follow Baby thru the yard as she walks. If she gets out of sight they stand together, stretch their necks, and start cheeping for her. As soon as she comes back, they waddle right over to her. She loves them, and I think they are rather smitten with her as well.

And finally, the highlight of my day...Rooney discovered my underwear drawer and decided to create another of her famous Mermaid ensembles. She came running into my office wearing a pair of my panties this time as "seashells."

I cracked up, of course, and had to snap some pics. Then I picked her up to kiss her and tell her how cute she was, and as I did, her skirt started to fall off. She said, "MOM!! You're ruining my fin!!" She's 3. When did my baby learn to think abstractly?!

Look up, look down, all around, hey.....

Satellite!


Poor guy. Said goodbye to the twins and the tail on the same day. He looks great with a short tail, but he was so uncomfortable that first night. We both did some crying. It has been about a week now and he is starting to adjust, and seems to be in less pain. That ridiculous collar DOES NOT keep him from licking his tail, and I'm a little concerned that once we remove it he isn't going to leave it alone. But at least he isn't chewing it anymore (it's too short) and hopefully once it's healed that will be the end of the Frankentail.

We rented "Mama's Boy" tonight, which starred the kid from Napoleon Dynamite. Hilarious. Worth two hours. Charlie Wilson's War is still up there, will let you know how that one turns out.

Wild Kingdom

Okay, the last couple of weeks our lives have been very full....of critters. It has been like Noah's Ark around here, and the girls are just loving it.

First, Jesse found a baby cotton-tail bunny in the grass at the rental house. Baby fell instantly in love (the little furball *was* adorable.)

Bunny only stayed with us a couple of days, before making a run for it the first time we put him down on the grass to eat some clover. He was like a tiny furry blur. Baby was DEVASTATED. She cried and cried. :`( Our saving grace has been that there are lots of wild bunnies around here, and when we see one in the backyard we tell her that is the baby bunny's Mommy and he wanted to go home. That has made her feel much better.

Next, since Jesse has installed the Second Coming Spotlight on the frontporch, we have had bugs galore, especially moths, which the girls think are butterflies and love to catch. Check this guy out - he has been coming and going the last few days and always lands in the same spot. The girls call him the Big Green Butterfly and love to look at him through the other side of the bathroom window. Ew.Also on the porch, some birds have decided to build their nest in the wreath on the security door. This picture is about a week old, there are 5 eggs in there now. We are going to have baby birds and the girls can't wait. Every time we come or go they ask if the babies are here yet.

And finally, Jesse brought home two little baby duckies today. Basically, they are about the most adorable things I have ever seen, and this time, we are *all* in love. They follow you around when you walk and love to climb up in your lap to snuggle up and get warm. They are SO soft and OH SO CUTE!! They are quick little buggers too, you have to be careful holding them. They are just a week old, and the guy at the farm supply place said they can go in the pond when they are a month old.
We just have to name them! I think Baby has been calling them Amber and Daniel (I have no idea.) What do you guys think? Romulus and Remus? Bonnie and Clyde? Peking and A La Orange? Rubber and Lame?