Blessing. . .our new pet!

So. . .as I mentioned earlier, Gehrig has been wanting a bird and I made him the deal that if he took good care of the garden this summer and showed that he was responsible enough to take care of a pet, I'd agree to a bird. Lou didn't feel the same way, but the other day he came home with a surprise. [Oh, a couple of weeks ago I saw a birdcage with accessories and a stand for $8 at a garage sale and bought it--for the future.] He had caught a pigeon in his office--it had come down some pipe or something into a closet in his office. He brought it home for us--I'm thinking it was to show me how messy birds are. . .but maybe it was just to be a fun dad! Anyway. . .Look at Damian's expression as he anticipates seeing it for the first time.

 

I love Gehrig's expression in this one. Don't you love Lou's look of concentration? :) He was trying to figure out how to get the bird from the garbage can to the cage without losing it in our home. He got wise and moved to the bathroom to make the transfer.

 

Gehrig named her "Blessing" because she came at a time when he was really struggling with some fears and she gave him a distraction and comfort.

 

They were all so excited about her. I, not so much. I was a bit worried about a wild bird (disease), plus she was much too large for the cage. For the time being, until I decided whether to keep her or not, we borrowed a much larger cage from our great neighbors. A few hours after we got her settled in her cage, I had all the kids settled down for quiet time. Well. . ., somebody let Isaiah out and apparently, he went to check on the bird and let her go. I bet she was jumping for joy when she realized she was free from so many adoring children's grasp! The kids took it all surprisingly well and I was relieved to have the dilemma out of my hands. I'd much rather have a small bird from a pet store. Plus, Gehrig needs time to prove himself--so far so good!