Although I don’t even know if it’s counts as a whole circle, since it was cut short before it started.
Brayden is playing Goldilocks in a class play today. We sponge-curled her hair last night, and she got up this morning and put on a Sunday dress to wear to school today, clutching a teddy bear to her bosom to complete the costume. She was pretty excited, and ready for school before her brother and sister, so she went outside to check on the robin’s eggs like she does most mornings, as long as the mother bird isn’t in the nest.
She dragged the ladder from the garage to the tree …… then I heard a blood-curdling shriek, followed immediately by tears, which of course prompted the other two kids to go flying outside to see what catastrophe had occurred.
Either because the mother bird left the eggs (we just saw her sitting on them yesterday, so I’m really not sure) or simply because one of the eggs hatched before it was ready, there is a very pre-mature, only-half formed baby bird in the nest …… squirming around …. And the entire nest, including the mal-formed bird and the two remaining eggs, are swarming with ants. SWARMING. Not to be rude about the ways of Mother Nature, but it was disgusting.
Brayden is crying, Kendrie is shrieking at me to get rid of the ants (all seven trillion of them???) and Kellen is protesting that little bird is suffering and that *I* need to do something about it.
Oh, geez, what a way to start the day.
The Goldilocks image was ruined, as Brayden’s face was tear-stained and puffy, and the dress had big black streaks on it from her crawling up and down the ladder ninety-two times, to check on the poor baby bird. I’m concerned she’ll be so traumatized from the events of today she’ll forget her lines. The kids want me to bring the remaining eggs inside so they can nurse them to life …. I’m pretty sure if the mother bird is gone, there’s not a lot of hope for anything inside, but how do you explain that to kids who are looking to you to “fix it”?
I suppose I could put on gloves and dispose of the nest myself. Nah, too hot.
I suppose I could just leave the nest there and let nature take its course. Nah, too cold.
I know! I’ll pull the wimpy card and make Blaine deal with it when he gets home from work tonight! Ahhhh, just right.
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22 comments:
Awwe how sad, your right, no way to start your morning. But the Blaine idea? I think is is just right? Hope Goldielock does ok, despite the puffy, red face. And I'm sure you changed her dress. Tammy from Fort Worth
Oh, it's so sad they had to see that! If Brayden's anything like my five-year old, Addyson, she will never forget that! Addyson hates all types of bugs...doesn't want to touch them...doesn't want them touching her...BUT, I'm not allowed to kill them! Even ants and spiders! Ewww.
Had to comment. Baby birds are not the most attractive to begin with...but with ants! Gross. So sorry for the rough start this morning! A few years ago, we were cutting down some Leland Cypress trees that we ignorantly planted too close to our house. My 9 year-old son was picking up limbs and found a bird nest with injured baby birds laying in the yard! He freaked! I freaked! The whole family freaked! We didn't see the nest in the tree. We were HOME WRECKERS! Sorry that I have no solution to share, but I will pray for you and wanted you to know that one of your neighbors in north Georgia is empathizing with you!
Oh No--- So sorry to hear of this morning's trauma. Poor birds and poor kids!!!! On the bright side, it's nice to see that your kids are filled with such compassion for these little birds. In today's age of Playstation and Cartoon Network, it's good to know that at least some kids care about the innocent things in life.
I'm pulling for the wimpy card! That is exactly what I would do!
I hope Brayden doesn't forget her lines.
This is so off topic. I know you've mentioned "baby donovan" on your site before. I used to visit the site regularly and leave a note now and again as well as just follow the family. Anyway, the site now has this whacky security thing and I have no problem registering in order to view it but how does one do that? I feel bad the family had to do that. There were these really mean people leaving just the worst messages. I'd love to leave them a positive note of encouragement. Amy
PS Bummer about the birds or lack thereof...
That is awful!! I am sure that your kids were frightened. Heck, I would have been freaked out, too.
Did the mama Robin come back? How was the play?
Oh no. Mother Nature can be harsh. How did Goldilocks do?
Oh I'm so sorry that your kids had to see that.
My niece had a hamster that died and before she even knew it was dead ants had found it (in her bedroom!) and crawled on it. Very traumatic for a child.
That was a few years ago and I'm happy to say my niece has suffered no permanent damage. (haha)
oh BLEECHH!! Ants??? JUST EW. I am sorry all three of the kids and you had to even witness that. I hope Blaine took care of it later in the day.
*WARNING*!!!! Tell Blaine to beware of tiny little mites that live on the birds and infest the nest!!! They are little blood-sucking things that are so tiny you practically have to use a magnifying glass to see them. I am the proud parent of a nature-boy (and quite possibly the next Crocodile Hunter or Jeff Corwin). He's found baby birds out of the nest a couple of times and picked them up; he then brings these horrible mites into the house on his clothes. Make SURE that Blaine doesn't get any of those suckers (literally!) on him! ugh. Sorry that the kids had to see reality at it's ugliest...
Okay, that is just NASTY. But, seriously, what is with these birds? How have they managed to survive so long making such bad choices? Ironically, I too had a gross encounter with a robin's egg today. It seems that someone decided to build a nest at the outside of the dryer vent. When I removed the nest materials from the dryer vent (precisely because I did not want to injure/kill eggs/birds), it must have been too late, because today when I removed the tubing behind the dryer (because the dogs were freaking out about it), there was a fried robin's egg at the bottom.
Eww, eww, eww.
I go one that nearly tops that.
Yesterday I am raking dirt on what is left of my grass after the grubs finished eating it and I keep hearing these tiny little peeps.
I look over the there is this half naked baby bird with its beak wide open - it can barely lift its little head of the ground. But it does with all its might and peeps for its mama.
Then my neighbours (how we spell it in Canada eh) 3yo walks around the corner with another in his little hand and wants to know if I can take care of it. Stupid crows - at least they could have eaten them!
They were so tiny and sad - and had no hope of living without mama - who is nowhere to be seen. Quickly while the little kid is over talking to his dad I dig a hole and bury them both. I can only hope their suffocation was quick... And then I lied to the kid and told them I put then in a nest I found in the park for a new mama to take care of them... Thankfully he didn't ask me to show him.
So sorry Brayden had to see that - sounds awful. She will remember it - I am sure - nature is cruel. I still remember our mama gerbil murdering all of her babies when I was 9. There will never be any rodent living in my house - ever...
Sue (Kaite's mom)
yea, my "anonymous" PETA fearing post the other day is NOTHING compared to this!
tomorrow is a new day!
mary cron schulman
Okay, Kristie, I hate to break it to ya, but the reason the ants invaded the nest is because YOU uprooted them when you laid accross their line while you were retrieving the ball out of the huge drain-thing. They were out looking for a new home when they stumbled across the baby birds...mmmmm...yum...baby birds...
Just don't tell your kids it's your fault - they may never forgive you!
-Marlene
Mother Nature...she's a bitch!
I've got one worse than that..My mom has a huge magnolia tree outside a picture window in her den..It is a perfect venue into bird world..Anyway, they had been watching a mother bird tend her nest for several weeks until the babies hatched...One morning they got up and checked on the nest...Raccoons were in the nest devouring the baby birds...It sucks being at the bottom of the food chain.
Well, isn't all of this just the best day brightener ever? HAHAHA! I'm so sorry the kids..and you..had to see that. It is rather traumatic, even though nature has its own way of taking care of things. I hope your little Goldilocks was able to rally and remember her lines.
OMG OMG OMG-That is so sad!!! I'm so sorry they had to have such a hard lesson in nature---I also would have taken the Blaine way out...It's just so heartbreaking.
Meg in Americus
Ummm... did I miss anything/something? Nothing about Billy Ray on here??? Or was it such a welcome "your fired" there was no need to bring it up? Ian is GONE next week. My vote is for Apalo-- my man.
Kathy from PA
Aw, so what happened to the baby bird? Yesterday I found a tiny, tiny one on the back of my bench. I think it had fallen out of a nest in this bizarre rain soaked land that used to be Oklahoma, landed on my bench and died. I, being not very good on the uptake saw it first and shouted "EW" which brought all five kids running. It was an interesting biology talk, but a not so pleasant visual. I swear one of these days my brain will take over so my mouth can quit getting me in trouble.
Dear Kristie,
That's so sad about the robins, what a pity they didn't survive. We had a wooden nest fall out of our cherry tree onto the ground once and it was full of baby blackbirds. We put it back up hight in the tree but I don't know if their mama came back or if they just died in the box, I didn't want to look again.
Take care,
Love Angela
Aawwwww..... Brayden cut her hair! Tell her I think it looks pretty.
M
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