Class Pets

Today is the last day of school!
My summer vacation officially starts in one hour and thirty minutes!
I am ready to get this summer going. It is looking like it will be full of FUN!

Since it is the last day of school, I figured I'd better hurry up and get this post up.

A few weeks ago, my parents were leaving to go to a Bible study they have on Thursday mornings. I had just let the kids out for lunch when my dad yells into the school, "Beth...you might want to come out here!" I could tell by the tone of his voice that I should also bring my camera.
I get out there and...my heart's love, but my head's aversion was standing in front of the church.
A man with about 10 bird cages stacked on his back. It is funny because just a couple weeks before this, my dad and I were in the car and I told him, "I feel the bug biting me, like something inside of me is saying it's time to get a new pet - BUT DON'T LET ME! I don't have time for it and I don't want the responsibility." Sigh.
We'd also discussed getting a class pet once we had moved into the new school. I was thinking a hamster, a goldfish...something the boys could feed and clean up after. Something EASY!

This bird man had an adorable little green parrot perched on his hand, and when asked what was in the gift bag hanging from his arm, he pulled out its tiny twin.
Two baby parrots, not even fully feathered. Be still, my heart!!
I was holding pretty strong until my mom came downstairs to look at them, exclaiming that we should get BOTH of them so they'd be buddies.

Sooooo....
Meet our new class pets. 

In this picture, the one on the left was 8 weeks and the one on the right was 10 weeks old. 

The boys loved them, especially our two youngest. 

Dad loved loved them....and they loved him. 

They got their first bath and enjoyed that. They came out looking like muddy little monsters! 

Have you noticed I have been speaking in past tense? Yes, the two birds were BFFs for two days. They entertained and snuggled with us for two days.

Then....something happened, the younger parrot got sick - I have no idea what happened, really. All I know is after church one night he was huddled in the bottom of his cage, his feet all contracted. It was the most pitiful thing I'd ever seen. I cuddled him, trying to keep him warm....he then started having violent seizures. It.was.terrible. Weeks later and typing this out makes me do the dog shake.

I've had a lot of pets, and living in Mexico I've seen a ton of sick animals. We had one of our dogs get parvo years ago and I thought that was bad, but nothing can compare to what went on with the little baby bird that night.
It was awful.

We are now left with one bird - and instead of having another bird as his little buddy - he has us.
He's the sweetest, cuddliest little ball of feathery warmth. He especially likes to snuggle his beak into our necks or behind an ear lobe, like in this picture:

I was thinking the other day -

Up until a few years ago, I thought birds were great, but touching them was the most disgusting thing ever. Then Pastor and Sis. Stoltzfus came down to visit us. I don't remember how exactly it all unfolded, but Sis. Stoltzfus got me loving birds. We were walking downtown by their hotel and a man with bird cages on his back came walking by. With her encouragement I got my first parrot. She showed me how to hold it, how to take care of it, what to feed it, and answered all my questions - which were many since birds are unlike any pet I'd had up until then. She bought me my first cage, which is the cage this bird is using now.

Hopefully we will be moving into the new school in August. When we do, this little guy will be living up there - that is the plan at least.
What is his name, you ask? We thought we'd name him Charlie - maybe that can be his "official" name. But all we ever call him is Baby. Baby this, Baby that. So Baby it is. We've been needing more babies around here. :)

~Bethany~