Animal Farm

Yesterday was a crazy day. Buzzard worked from home in the morning. While I was in the kitchen making my new favorite oatmeal ever, Daisy Duck was outside throwing an absolute fit! She was flapping and splashing and honking up a storm. I went out to fill her little watering dish with my yellow watering can, just like every day, and she charged me! I noticed she only had four babies with her, and I flew into a panic. I started searching everywhere for the other three ducklings. Distraught, I came inside and announced to Buzz that we were down to four babies. He flew out there like his tail was on fire. (Guess who likes the ducks best of all??) About five minutes later he is shouting at me to come help, and to bring a basket.

I find Buzzard in the neighbor's shrubs. He has located the three missing ducklings and has them barricaded with a large, orange pool mat. I'm instructed to crouch at the other end of the hedge with my laundry basket and try to coax them in with a large stick.

Good grief. What must the neighbors think?? You don't suppose they suspect we're weird homeschoolers, do you?? :)

Let me tell you, baby ducklings are fast, and skiddish, and not altogether fine with large orange pool mats or laundry baskets. We hustled all over the place to no avail. The entire time we could hear Mama duck in our own backyard leading the entire subdivision to believe that duck a'la orange was on the lunch menu.

I went inside to wake the kids, who promptly arrived outside in various stages of mismatched dress. There was Hannah, who was half way done getting ready when she received our urgent call for help, in her pink pajama bottoms, red tee shirt, and heels, diving into the Oleander bush with her gardening gloves on.

At long last, Mama duck had the good sense to abandon her four babies who were floating safely in our pool and to fly over the fence. She landed in the alley with a thud, clearly ticked off at our inability to manage any sort of wildlife rescue attempt. She squaked and thundered and we immediately retreated with our baskets, sticks, and leisure pool equipment. Sure enough, the babies ran immediately to her side and she began to usher them home.

We were immensely relieved to have our little family back in tact. I realized then and there that having seven extra children to look after is a bit taxing.

About an hour later, the pool guy showed up to clean the pool. He agreed to not use any chemicals, but he did stay to vacuum and sweep and clean all the filters. Poor Daisy was beside herself. She stayed in the water the entire time, riding all the waves with her little babies. I couldn't figure out why they didn't just go hide back inside the Hawthorne bush.

Shortly after Mr. Clean Pool left with his hundred hoses and nets, Daisy and the babies vanished. Poof. They're just gone. We've checked the neighbors shrubs (again!) and the creek behind our house, just to reassure ourselves that they are safe, but we can find no trace.

I left the porch light on all night last night and was so hoping they would be back on their little styrofoam dock this morning waiting for their morning treat of white bread and fresh water. But no ducklings.

We were apparently determined to be unfit housing. :(

Now I miss my seven little babies so very much. I keep reminding myself that many a duckling has survived without the benefit of Mrs. Baird's bread or fresh water in a Pyrex pie plate. But to have them just disappear when they were still so teeny tiny is a sad blow. I'm going to keep searching the creek today in hopes of seeing them long enough to offer some kind of apology for Buzzard and his big orange mat. :)

In other animal news, Mom and I took Emma shopping last week and we each bought her a new Duplo Lego set. Emma doesn't have a lot of toys. She mostly just likes hanging out with the big kids and being outside. But let me just say, she loooooves her new "Eggos". I have had a horse stable set up on the coffee table in my den for a solid week, and it is what she does ALL day, EVERY day. Whatever I paid for this, it was worth a million times more.

Emma loves playing with Max's horse collection, so we thought she would enjoy this horse stable. We were right on! We ponied up to the coffee table, where we have stayed in rapt attention ever since.

The Lego store was all sold out of farm animals, so we had to get zoo animals to live at our farm. No problem.

The horses don't really seem to mind.

The polar bear on the blue ice cube is our very favorite piece. Of course. Who doesn't love a polar bear who hangs out in a garden of pink plastic flowers??

Now, certain things have to be a certain way day after day. (I have no idea where she gets that!) The giraffe really likes to hang out on the roof the best. I think he likes the view.

The Daddy ALWAYS have to drive the horse trailer. He never lets the Mommy drive. (I definitely know where she gets that!)

A few days ago we made a little addition to the stables. The dog family from the Fisher Price Loving Family Dollhouse moved in. BUT...they stay on the OPPOSITE end of the coffee table and they don't get too close to the stables. Really, they don't. Ever. Because if you try, there will be loud crying and lots of pointing and demands.

Dude, maybe it's your hair.

All I know is that I've finally met the woman who can happily occupy my toddler for hours at a time. The girl has moxy, and the power to subdue a two year old.

So, we're one big blended family around here, but we're still down seven ducklings. And even the polar bear on the ice cube isn't making me feel better about that. On the plus side, my agenda for the day is pretty much set. If you need me, I'll be near the coffee table.

The End.