There's a Reason They're Called Bird Brains

As a working mom, I can do it all! After making dinner this evening, cleaning it up, cleaning the kitchen, and bathing two boys, I also had the energy to chase a bird out of my house. Yes, that's right, my adventures with nature continues with a bird. I opened the back door to close the garage door, and in flew a bird. Of course, I had the typical calm reaction of shrieking. Matthew yelled, "There's a bird in the house!" and since Nathan was in the tub, he immediately began freaking out. The only one who was excited by the event was the cat. This was the most perky I'd seen her in ages. I tried to leave the back door open, thinking that the bird would smell the fresh air of nature, and fly out, but no luck. After chasing it around the house for a while, I decided to get a broom. I wasn't exactly sure what I was going to do with it, but I figured having something was going to help.

Matthew and I proceeded to chase this crazy bird around the house for at least 20 minutes. I got a couple of good swats to the bird. I wasn't trying to kill it, but I figured if I could stun it a little bit, I'd be able to push it along the floor back out into the garage. All I suceeded in doing was knocking a few feathers off of it. Of course, poor Andrew's trying to drink his bottle through all this, and I think all of our running around and yelling was beginning to freak him out, so he started crying. Since he was done with his bottle, the poor child just got dumped unceremoniously in his bed. Unfortunately, by the time I got back into the living room, the bird had vanished. Now, I can't find this bird, and Nathan's still flipping out in the bathroom. I quickly got Nathan out of the tub, and went back to look for God's beautiful creature. I finally found it underneath our hutch. Once again, the chase ensued. My goal was to get a bucket over it, then I planned to get it out the door. But the bird didn't exactly follow the directions. Now, Nathan's in the family room and shrieking every time the bird flies by him, I'm getting hot and sweaty chasing after this darn thing, and I think Matthew's beginning to think we have a new pet. And the cat? Well, she knew she was too old and slow to catch it, so she decided that spectating was her best bet. Unbelievably, the bird got behind the back door, and scooted between the door and the wall to go back out into the garage. I don't think Nathan truly believed me that the bird was finally gone, but thankfully it was. All that was left for me was to clean up the feathers it left behind. At least Matthew and Nathan have something to write about during Writer's Workshop tomorrow.

So far, I've faced a frog, a giant roach, and a bird as well as all of the various insects and spiders I've killed since we've moved. I love nature.