We didn't get to our New Thing on Thursday for a variety of reasons. The LP had a half-day at daycare in the morning. Once I picked them up and brought them home, they were exhausted and clearly needed naps. LP1 went down like a ton of bricks but LP2 was a little more resistant. I was watching him on the baby monitor. He was sitting up in his crib, looking around his room. As I watched him, I started wondering what he was looking at so intently...and then I realized he had fallen asleep sitting up! It was absolutely adorable to see this little guy, sitting up, hands on his lap, sound asleep. He startled himself awake and resumed looking around until he fell asleep again. Eventually....TIMBER! Down he fell, onto his side and down he stayed for the next three hours. See what I mean about being tired? LP1 lasted about an hour and a half for her nap. We chilled out together until LP2 finally woke up. By that time, we were nearing get-ready-for-dinner-time and the activity I had planned just didn't work. So I scrapped it. Sometimes it is easier to let the New Thing go, rather than try to force it into the day.
The LP had another half-day at daycare today to make up for the one they missed on Tuesday. LP1 had a nap when we came home but LP2 decided napping was not on his agenda today. Shortly after LP1 awoke, Auntie K came over. Today was sunny but cool. We bundled the LP into warm fall sweaters and headed into the front yard.
Oh look - the Mexican birdfeeder is still in the tree! It remains untouched by any neighbourhood wildlife and Daddy still hasn't noticed it yet. So it shall remain in the tree until it either disintegrates or Daddy looks out the window and says "what the hell is stuck in our tree?"
We weren't out to ruin more tacos today. Nor were we going to make some elaborate craft. Instead, we were going to throw birdseed on the lawn. Yes, you read that correctly. I've given up on making a birdfeeder or some other Martha Stewart-esque elaborately crafted way of feeding birds. I decided that we were just going to throw the seed all over the lawn and see what happened.
Auntie K and I bought some wild birdseed at the Bulk Barn yesterday. It was fourteen cents a pound. There was exotic birdseed for thirty four cents per pound but I'm not out to subsidize birds, so I cheaped out.
I explained to the LP what we were doing and they were immediately on board with this plan. I threw the first handful of birdseed into the air and like seagulls to a french fry in a parking lot, they were at my side. LP1 was joyfully showering the lawn. I put some in LP2's hand and helped him throw it. He found this to be incredibly amusing. Soon all of us were getting into it and the front lawn was covered with birdseed.
Here birdie birdie birdie! Come get some wild birdseed!
LP2 and I also put some seed in the bird feeder hanging in the same tree as the Mexican birdfeeder (the previous owners of our house had left it there, do you really think we're the kind of people organized enough to purchase and hang any kind of bird feeding device?). When the food ran out, Auntie K and I took pictures of the LP as they played in the front yard. As we were on the driveway, she was suddenly overtaken by inspiration and ran into the house for some chalk. When she returned, she had LP1 lay on the driveway and she drew a crown above LP1's head. Genius. Next she drew a tail on the driveway and we had LP2 sit down so it looked like he had suddenly sprouted a tail. Super genius. We managed to get a few pictures before they squirmed away. Auntie K drew conversation bubbles with words but getting a picture was tough. She was next pressed into making a hopscotch um...court? field? square? What do you call it? This is why I can't write late at night. I can't think. Anyway, she drew a hopscotch thingy and took turns playing with LP1.
LP2 was intrigued by the different foliage in the front yard and spent some time playing with leaves and pulling up weeds. LP1 wandered over and did her customary hug-a-tree routine (I've never seen a kid hug trees as much as LP1 does) before she found a stick and started hitting an evergreen shrub with it, claiming she was "gardening". After attempting to climb a tree and telling Auntie K "this is too difficult", I was getting chilly and decided it was time to head in. I'm a total wimp and spoiler of afternoon outdoors time. I fully admit that.
We spent the rest of Auntie K's visit playing inside and forcing her to read books and magazines and flyers. My dreams of birds landing on the lawn to eagerly eat up this buffet of free food have yet to be realized. I haven't seen a single bird check out our spread. I'm starting to think it must be us. Have we been deemed a "no eating zone" by some bird union? WHY WON'T THEY EAT ANYTHING WE PUT OUT FOR THEM??! Is it the wild birdseed? Are they picky eaters? What is up with that?!
I am now going to spend the rest of the weekend surreptitiously peering out the front windows in search of birds. I hope whatever you get up to this weekend, it is more exciting than Birdwatch '11.
Yeah, the hopscotch thing only goes to 5. It was still fun, though. What do you call it? Now it is driving me crazy!
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