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Jun. 12th, 2009

How to kill 5 birds with one shake

(you know, as opposed to 2 birds with one stone...)  My only attempt at being clever today.

Anyway- good times at the Brown backyard last night. My curious little boy all of a sudden walked over to a small tree in our back yard and started shaking it "to make some leaves fall down". But he got more than he bargained for when 3 baby robins plopped down instead. The 3 baby birds scurried a little and then immediately just froze...in terror, I assume.

Hub and I sat there for a minute on the deck and laughed, trying to figure out what to do next. The mama and papa robin's were sitting on the fence, doing the same thing, except they weren't laughing, they were squawking hysterically. Jacob stood in the yard, watching the birds in amazement.

Finally I say ok...I'm going to go get some gloves...we have to put them back. They were clearly too small to get up there on their own, and it would only be a matter of time before the neighbor's cat or my stupid dog wants a snack. 

Speaking of my stupid dog...it was all going pretty well until he decided he was going to go investigate the birds and perhaps eat one, because as soon as his mouth got within range of one of the babies, the parents went completely apeshit and started dive bombing anything and everything they saw as a threat, not only the dog, but Jacob, me and Hub as well. We all ran up on the deck and started to map out our next course of action. By this time, before the mayhem began, we had managed to get one of the babies back up in the nest. 2 to go.

But the parents were flying around like rabid beasts, clearly not aware that they were about 1/1000th of our size. Any time we went near them they attacked. I figured we had to go on the attack as well, to get them far enough away, or at least distracted enough so that we could save the babies. So naturally I sent Jacob to fetch the broom, and this is where it gets good. I am sure the neighbors got a nice treat, watching a pregnant woman manically waving a broom around trying to fight off two really pissed off robins while her husband is running around the yard trying to capture two terrified babies. Anyway- teamwork prevailed, and we were able to get them back home safe and sound....although I suspect that they all immediately died of cardiac arrest as soon as the whole ordeal was over.

I am SO over baby birds this year. They seriously need to go find somewhere else to live.
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Apr. 11th, 2009

Oh, hello there.

Today Hub was going to grill burgers for lunch (for him, not me, I'm still on a meat-strike...ugh.) and came running inside...

"You HAVE to see this."

Hmm...ok, what is it, I wonder. With Jacob outside there is no telling, but it could be entertaining, so I went.

So I go on the deck and look at the grill...and see...



Hub's like "ha ha very funny, someone put hay in my grill."

Backstory- we have a neighbor friend who likes to play little jokes on Hub and vice versa...you know, trash can on the front porch, trash can upside down on the mailbox, Thanksgiving pilgrim yard art being positioned in not-so-innocent ways...that type of thing. So, bale of hay in the grill? Par for the course. What can I say, we live in the country, it's readily available.

But the he looks closer...



So...nice...apparently a flock of dinosaur birds has taken up residence in my grill. Look at the size of that nest! I also happen to love this second picture because if you look closely in both bottom corners, there is further proof that, AT ALL TIMES, I am followed around by at least 2 of the three males in this house. Bottom left: My son's foot. Bottom right: My dog's foot. Out of camera view: Hub right behind me.

Anyway- wtf is wrong with this bird? As she's house-hunting she apparently has a check list:
-Nice, open, spacious floor plan: Check! (seriously, this is a big grill.)
-Off the beaten path: Check!
-Nice schools: Check!
-Friendly neighbors: Check!

What she wasn't thinking about?
-The likelihood that at any given moment her new home would instantaneously burst into flames.

So what's any understanding and sympathetic mother like myself to do in this situation? Close the grill and stink up the house with pan-fried burgers. How long does it take for bird's eggs to hatch?

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Mar. 20th, 2009

Five on Friday

1. I just ordered tickets for Dave Matthews and Jason Mraz on April 25th!!! I wasn't going to go, because nobody wanted to go with me (wtf is wrong with people) and Hub haaaates going to concerts, but then I looked on ticketmaster.com and found some gooooood seats right by the stage and had a "what the hell" moment and 3 minutes later they were mine, all mine. :-)

The plan? I'm not sure yet, but I think it will consist of bribing Hub in some way, shape or form, or if it comes down to it, I will threaten him. Anyway- he's taking me, and he will like it. I have *never* made him take me anywhere he didn't want to go (except for one bad Manheim Steamroller Christmas Concert that I even was miserable at, but the tickets were free.) (He still hasn't let me forget that.) Anyway, this is NOT Manheim Steamroller, this is DAVE MATTHEWS for crying out loud. Who wouldn't enjoy that? Except for my music-hating husband. :-( 

Oh- also, this assures me that I will not be getting a birthday present this year either, but I'm ok with that because this is my favorite band that I have always wanted to see live.

2. During THAT, I see that Coldplay is coming June 6. OMG I want to go sooooooo bad, but no way can we afford that, especially after this little expenditure. IF ANYONE THAT READS MY BLOG IS SUPER RICH AND LOVES ME, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO BUY ME TICKETS TO COLDPLAY ON JUNE 6. xoxoxoxo

3. My boy is going to be FOUR in less than two weeks. I can't believe it. We're having a Pirate Party, so that should be fun. He's so excited. I'm trying to think of some kind of fun/original/non-lame activity we can do and I'm coming up short. It's just going to be a handful of kids there so nothing will get out of control. It's going to be here at the house. If the weather is nice they'll probably play outside, but I still think I should have something planned. I thought about a treasure map thingy, but they're only 4-5 years old, I don't think they'd really get it. Ideas? Suggestions?

4. I have the only dog in the world that can manage to break the Dyson made ESPECIALLY for hairy animals. Seriously, he just walks around and you can see the hair flying off him. It's disgusting. My Dyson BROKE because it was so full of his hair, and I don't mean the container. Like all the insides were just clogged up with blobs of yellow Graham-hair. If DYSON can't make an ANIMAL HAIR VACUUM that will withstand my dog's hairy ass then I guess it's hopeless. I looooove animals. I love dogs and cats and birds and everything, but I wish they weren't such a pain in the ass. lol My next pet will be hairless, noiseless, poopless and odorless. Is that too much to ask? No seriously, after reading [info]authorwithin 's latest post about her new macaw I am back to my life-long desire to own a beautiful, people-friendly bird. Which brings me to...

5. I did some research, and I want one of these little beauties:


They're called Sun Conures. Aren't they stunning? And apprently very people-friendly, affectionate and make great pets. When greeted with my new desire, Hub made proclomations like "Absolutely not." and "Are you crazy?" and "Hell no." But, maybe with time, he'll come around. :-p

Before I get any comments from the peanut gallery, yes I am fully aware that birds are neither noiseless, odorless or poopless. But they are soooo pretty!