Life has handed me plenty of reasons to laugh, but none quite so fantastic as birds.
Yes, birds.
If you've been around these parts for a while, you may remember that one of my children is SUPER afraid of birds. She has no reason for said fear. There was no early life trauma or anything like that. She just woke up one day and was all sorts of NOPE about birds. And that? That has been a gift that keeps on giving. I try not to make too much fun of her because it is a genuine phobia, but even she sees the hilarity in how she sort of melts into the background whenever a bird is around.
If you're picturing the Simpsons meme where Homer melts into the bushes, YES. THAT'S EXACTLY IT. We'll be walking downtown, happen upon some pigeons, and I'll suddenly realize the kid has disappeared. It's hilarious every single time.
Oh, and peacocks? You know how they sometimes wander the zoo? I know they sometimes wander the zoo because that same kid VANISHES whenever one is spotted. I'm not mean enough to post it, but there is an incredible video of a peacock at a plantation in South Carolina and basically the video shows one of my children running to hug the peacock and the other one melting all the way up two flights of stairs and behind a pillar.
Heh.
Which brings us to the other gift. It was one level of funny when the one kid was scared of birds (and had a good sense of humor about it), but it was a WHOLE OTHER THING when the second kid came along and was all I WANT TO BE FRIENDS WITH ALL OF THE ANIMALS. ESPECIALLY BIRDS.
That other kid is drawn to birds like I am to chocolate. She is going to have a pet bird some day, and it might just be a wild bird that she captures and convinces to follow her home. She loves them and adores them and wants to be friends with every last bird on Earth.
And that is exactly why I have a photo of that one kid trying to sneak up and steal an Eagle while the other kid is nowhere in sight. She was in another zip code, I do believe. She ran there the second there was even the slightest mention of birds.
