"My" Robins

We have lived in this house for going on 4 years.  This is our 3rd summer.  This is our 3rd spring with a momma robin building a nest, laying eggs, and caring for her brood on the narrow ledge at the top of the pillar on our front porch.
The first year I worried that she couldn't build on such a narrow ledge, though she was quite determined, so I tied a green wire basket, like one would use for shower supplies, to the ledge.  She built her nest in the basket.  That year we only watched one brood.  I think she had 3 babies.
The second year, I got a basket from my mother, that she made specifically for a robin.  I nailed it to the porch - you can see the nail in the picture.  Her first brood in 2010 was 4 little robins, who all fledged.  The second brood died.  Not sure why, but I remember there being several dead baby birds around.  It did get unusually hot for a day or two...
2011.  I decided if the silly bird wanted to build a nest on the narrow ledge, then she'd have to figure out how to do it.  And she did!  4 eggs ( I checked with a step stool and a hand mirror).  Now they are feathered and stretching their wings, and making lots of noise when mom or dad come with a worm or 3.  They make me nervous as they get bigger and start stretching their wings.  The nest is small for 4 birds - though momma robin knows better than I do.
I looked it up - and a Robin lives and average of 2 years, with the longest documented lifespan in the wild being 14 years.  Maybe this is the same robin...both the momma and the dad seem much more relaxed with us out on the porch this year.  For that reason, I think it is the same pair.  I was standing on a chair maybe 5 feet away when I took these pictures.  Both the momma and the dad flew in and deposited their worms and flew off while I stood there.

 Quiet babies.  I just came out on the porch and stood on the chair.

 Here's Momma with a worm.  Look at them beg.

 Momma just realized I was there (I think).

 Off she goes to find another worm.

 Here's the dad, looking at me, literally.  He's not so sure about the flash.  Look at the babies beg!

 They are begging and he's trying to figure out the flash.

He's still checking me out.

BMX Track

Tonight was Titus' 3rd time to go to the BMX track in Warsaw - at Hire Park.  He really likes it (no surprise here).  He has done the entire track a handful of times now.  Brian still runs (attempts to at least) behind/with him, though says Titus doesn't need help and no longer uses his brake at all.  Tonight we had to drag him away.  After a morning of walking at the zoo in Ft. Wayne and then no nap in the truck on the way home, and an afternoon of playing with Isabele, he was literally falling asleep on his bike prior to his last ride on the "front part" (the final straight). 
I'm glad he's enjoying riding.  He now builds ramps in the driveway to ride off.  It is amazing to watch him and remember that he's not quite 4 1/2 years old.

Bicycle Anatomy Lesson from a 4 Year Old

Brian and Titus washed their bikes this morning in the driveway.  Brian had ridden the trails a couple times and his bike was pretty muddy.  Titus rode at the BMX track - Hire Park - last night and got his bike muddy too. So, it was time to wash the bikes.  Titus did a good job and was quite proud of how shiny and slippery his bike was.  He told me, "It's even shinier than when the guys made it."  After getting it all clean, he had to test-ride it.  He did a quick lap of the driveway, barefoot and in shorts and a t-shirt.  (At the BMX track, he has to wear jeans and long sleeves, plus his tennis shoes with socks.)  When he came back to report the status of his bike to Brian, he and his bike fell over when he stopped.  He fell off a bit hard, but nothing overly impressive, however, he was crying a bit. 
Brian talked to him and asked him what was wrong. 
He said, "the penis got me". 
Brian asked, "What got you?" 
Titus, "The penis got me."
Brian, "Oh, you hurt your penis when you fell off the bike?"
Titus "No.  The bike's penis got me."
Brian "Where's the bike's penis?"
Titus showed him the front part of the seat.
Brian said, "So the bike is male."
And yes, I know, this will embarrass him in the future.  And a few years after that, he will find it funny.

Egg in a Nest

Lauri (Nana) came over this morning to make breakfast with the kids.  She asked them if they had every had eggs in a nest.  Titus thought for a minute and then grabbed her hand and said, "Yes, We have 4 eggs in our nest, do you want to see?" as he dragged her to the living room to look out the front window at "our" mama Robin and her 4 babies.
The kids saw the eggs once (with the mirror), but they haven't seen the babies yet.  I checked yesterday and there were 4 featherless, breathing babies!  Soon they will be big enough and strong enough to poke their heads out of the top of the nest and make quite a racket when mama comes back with a worm.

April is slowing down and speeding up

It's April 3rd.  Life is slowing down just a bit...I cut back my hours at the shop to just PRN, filling in for Lauri when she has to be gone for appointments and also when she goes out to see Hannah and her soon-to-be new baby in Alaska.  So things are a bit slower, which is good.  As the weather continues to get warmer the days are getting longer.  The kids love playing outside.  I've managed to rake out the vegetable garden, the driveway garden and the front gardens.  I still have the entire back yard to do.  I need to figure out what I'm going to plant as soon it will be time to do that!  I just got a bunch of new yarn!  Lots of colors and possibilities, so lots of knitting that I want to do.
The kids are still doing swimming lessons, though we get this week of as it's Warsaw's spring break. 
Isabele is quickly figuring out the Glider Bike and now goes outside just to ride it!!  Titus showed me his latest bike tricks this afternoon.  He can pedal down the driveway standing up, coast standing up, and coast standing up with one foot off the pedal and raised to the height of the crossbar.  He also demonstrated his ability to ride barefoot.  This is all on his green bike.  The bigger blue bike is still in "hibernation" as he's so fast on it, the driveway isn't quite big enough when Isabele is out at the same time.
If I haven't mentioned it before, Caleb put down tile in our kitchen and back room and laminant floor in the play room.  I love both of them.  He also finished the trim in those areas.  I need to get the wood putty from him and get the trim puttied, sanded and painted.  Maybe I can get that done this week...and I need to take some pictures of the kids...and possibly post some new pictures this week...

March 2011

Busy??  That would be an understatement.  I am working at Lauri (Nana's) shop 12 hours a week, doing legal nurse consulting at home on the computer 20 hours a week, and working at Bowen center day shift every other Saturday. 

Brian's working on the Pitts restoration (which he works on daily) and flying his every varying Biomet schedule.  He also spends lots of his daytime garage time directing the projects of Titus and Isabele - watch out hammers, nails, screws and drills - and the foam and boards that go along with that.

Titus - well, he's busy being 4.  Swimming lessons at the Y weekly, at which he is progressing very well.  He has tried the big blue bike a couple times and can really ride fast - faster than his brain can follow instructions.  So, the blue bike is back in hibernation (the hanger) until the weather gets warm for good.  Last week when it was t-shirt weather he had a true little boy summer look - a skinned palm, bruised knees and a skinned chin - nothing overly serious -just that sweet reminder of childhood summer.

Isabele - At almost 2 1/2 she's a bundle.  She's got running figured out and does it every where she goes, almost.  She's so busy, mind and body, that she's started stuttering, which is ever so common at that age.  I'm trying to give her more obvious direct attention when I notice her having trouble - but she doesn't seem to mind.  By the time she's 4, I'll probably have forgotten that she did that.  She woke me up at 6:40 this morning asking for her ring that is in my jewelry box.  I tried to get her to wear it a couple months ago, but she flat out refused, saying it was mine.  She wore it all day today - only taking it off a couple times.  I'd love it if she gets to where she will just leave it on.  It's so cute.

The kids go with me to the shop for 3 hrs, 4 days a week.  That has been a challenge, but we are figuring it out.  I've been knitting all kinds of things.  Need to take some pictures, but...I haven't.

I did get the garden raked out - okay the side garden only - when it was warm.  I'm anxious for it to get warm and stay that way.  SOON!!

Oh - house progress.  We had Caleb tile the kitchen and back room and put laminate down in the playroom.  I love it!  He also finished the trim in those 2 rooms.  Now I just have to putty and paint the trim.  And get him to make the thresh-holds too. 

That's at least a 10 minute summary of March 2011.

Oh dear! Time, Where Have You Gone??

Tomorrow is the last day of February.  Guess I'd better put "catching up the blog" on my to do list.  I do have some pictures, still on the computer for the most part.
What have we been doing in the last 2 months?  Swimming lessons, which both kids continue to progress quite well in.  Gymnastics (last session at the Y).  They had fun with that, but not enough time this session to squeeze that in.  We've also been spending about 3 hours a day helping my mother-in-law get her new shop set up and ready to open - The Island Weaver - Knitting, Spinning and Weaving - opens on Tuesday, March 1st.  That has used up lots, and lots of time. 
Shoveling snow has used up some of our time in the last few weeks also.  And then just all the stuff that happens in every day life.  More later, or hopefully sooner...