New Birth {And…Last Chance for the Lapbook Giveaway!}

 

She chose wisely among the twigs and sticks – picking them up one-by-one and carrying them to the top of the pillar.  After a small pile was formed, she would add a piece and nestle down into them, rubbing the pieces together against themselves trying to get them to tangle.  It was the start of her nest.  The victory was short-lived, for try-as-she-might, the nest beginnings would fall down off of the top of the pillar and onto the ledge below.  I thought she had given up when I crept out to remove the pile of rubble on the porch floor, and the pile now on the ledge, but as I approached the twigs, I saw there in the midst, and perfect round saucer – a Robin’s nest.  I turned around and left the porch undisturbed.

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After noting this might not be the most brilliant move of this Robins’ life (building a nest eye-level with our three-year-old), I decided to do my best at protecting this mama bird and inspiring the kids to marvel at the mystery of life we were hoping would unfold in the upcoming days.  We watched her in her nest, and one day snuck out to see three beautiful bright-blue eggs lying in the nest.  We read some books about nests and Robins, and found out they sit on their eggs for around 13 days.  Just the other night I tucked the kids into bed, went back downstairs to address the errant legos and long-abandoned markers when I noticed the mama bird had left her nest.  I peered through the window straining to see the nest and noticed that it looked like something pink was inside.  I called to the oldest 2 – “Hey guys, come quick!”  They knew their mama doesn’t budge on bedtime, so this must be good – the second child pulling to get in front of the first.  I told them to slow down, and we crept onto the porch.  There in the nest, was a newly-hatching baby bird – still halfway in the shell.  It’s yellow beak was open, and no sound was muttered.  Robby worried that the baby robin had no voice – his worrying a remnant of the “Trumpet of the Swan” book read earlier this year.  It’s skin still stretched and covered its eyes – a blind welcome to a brand new world.  We snuck back inside, and crept over by the window on the floor, careful to remain still.  We saw the mama bird out in the yard, looking for food we could only guess.  A few seconds later, she returned to her nest, standing on top of it’s rim, and leaning down over the new birth, she fed it, and then nestled left and right, then left again, until she was snuggled back down onto the nest.  Such magnificent beauty – a mama tending her young and her home.  And I wonder – if someone was peering into my world, would they see the beauty of a diligent mama tending to her home and babes?  When I peer into my life, do I recognize that I am like this mama bird – created by God to tend to my babes in the nest?  Oh, that we may awaken to the magnificence of our daily tasks – that in the midst of the everyday and mundane, we are painting a picture of His goodness, His grace, His creation, to the Glory of His name!!!

For your enjoyment, here are two pictures of the freshly-hatched baby Robin!  I think God knew what he was doing when He covered them with feathers…..I’m just sayin’……  🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SPEAKING OF UNEXPECTED ARRIVALS……

Did you get your entry in yet?  Monday is THE LAST DAY to enter the drawing for free Memory Work Lapbooks to complement Cycle 1 of Classical Conversations!  If you wanted to get in on the free drawing, now is your chance!  You can find the giveaway HERE!