lilly bird

When Greta and Mickey celebrated their 8th and 5th birthdays, we got them 2 little parakeets. In typical Greta and Mickey fashion, they immediately refused to each pick a bird and so they agreed that both birds were "everyones".

They were two blue male birds whom were promptly named Lilly and Lavender. Yes two "L's" in Lilly. Sadly, Lavender died this spring and so we just have Lilly now.

The reason we got them the birds, is because they so wanted to touch birds. It was all they talked about at the time, how they wanted to hold the sparrows and chickdees, how they wanted to kiss and pet and carry the little cardinals and finches that came to our feeder....so we thought they could hand-tame the parakeets to be their shoulder-pals.
BUT
We never did.

I blamed it on wild little 22 month old Casey, I blamed it on everything. But there was just no way I had the resources available to me (time, babysitters or space) to be lettin' some crazy little bird out of its cage! As David Sedaris said, " Id Rather Eat A Vaseline Sandwhich"--than let those little tiny fragile things out into our cluttered tiny house and into the clutches and under the stamping feet of a toddling madman or worse!
They begged and pleaded and I was like yeah yeah this weekend, this weekend..then when i was pregnant with Charlie I couldnt even walk by the cage without dry heaving--just the thought of birds sick sick sick....and so for 17 1/2 months we did not play with the birdy.

Today Greta accidentally (i dont care if that is true or not) let Lilly out out his cage into my bedroom. It is an extremely spartan bedroom, there is one dresser and a matress on the floor. Two sunny windows and a little basket of Charlies new birthday toys. So, the best possible room in the world for this to happen. We JUST this weekend moved mister Lilly into our bedroom for the parties we had because of the potential for cold drafts with him by the backdoor and all the people coming and going.

SO I just let her and Mickey hang out in there and I kept the little boys out! and lo and behold, somehow, within 1/2 hour, out comes Greta with Lilly wrapped in a little hand towel and sheis like Look Mama kiss him! Kiss him!
At first I was kind of mean and like what did you do? Did you tackle him? Dont squeeze him! Is he okay?
which of course was so rude

But I apologized later. Bless his heart, he gets to fly and have love now. They showed him a great time, he had three seperate play times and seems happy, honestly. Mickey is so entranced, he loves little birds so much, he once told me he can scarcely look at them because they are so cute and he gets so sad that he cant have them that he doesnt even want to look at them. Maybe this will help.

Since becoming a mother I must shamefully admit that for the most part, I can only see pets as just another thing to make you worry, make filth, stench and induce gut wrenching heinous guilt just after you put the kids to bed, like you need more filth and guilt at 8pm....and Lilly was no exception. But now, it looks like he will have a happy life and the kids will learn about parakeets and get to touch birdies!
I am so glad.