Here come the Mama Duck

So yesterday in the warm afternoon, Norah and I enjoyed popcorn and lemonade on our front porch while Eric took Simon to the doctor. Norah exclaimed "egg"!!! We looked under our bush, and there was a loose nest with a large, white egg. While we feed the many neighborhood sparrows, occasional cardinals, and therefore coopers hawks, with our bird feeder, we have never noticed nest-al activity before. No sign of Mama or Papa yesterday evening. I began to ponder how to explain a possible abandoned egg, or how to sneakily get rid of an egg that never hatched. And the sadness that could follow. Not to worry, not to worry.

This morning as Eric left for work, he took Norah outside to see Mama Duck sitting on the egg and Papa Duck standing watch in the street. We will spend all day watching the situation, wondering why Papa flew away, will Papa come back, where did Papa go, how will the baby get food, and trying not to scare Mama off her egg as we noisily play outside.

We live 1 1/2 blocks from a water retention pond and we have walked many-an-evening to see the ducks. Sometimes 100 ducks have gathered there, so we are not surprised to see this wayward family.

It adds excitement to the spring. Daffodils, lilacs, tulips, and duckling - oh my!

Oh, and the Tulip Free For All is this week, free tulips! I think I will go on Thursday perhaps 1, 2, or 3 times for a recycling bin full of tulips. Simon's school has a fall clean up or planting and tulips would be nice to see in the spring.

Speaking of Simon, he has just finished his antibiotic for his ear infection. He now has viral bronchitis and needed a nebulizer treatment yesterday at the doctor office. According to Eric, he took it okay. At least we are past the kicking and screaming while receiving the neb, but he gagged after a minute or two. He has thrown up immediately after a treatment before. Not a fun thing. We will be using the inhaler as needed. He left for the doctor feverish, mopey, and silent. He returned talking. It's amazing what he can do with enough air! Hopefully this doesn't continue and develop into asthma. Each time the doctor's bring it up, and each time it is a wait and see. He seems to only have these breathing troubles with respiratory illness.

So we will spend the day resting, coughing, reading "Are You my Mother?" and watching the situation out our front window. Perched on stools, my little ones can see Mama Duck on her nest under the bush in the front flower beds.