Get Your Own Drink!

Last night I was watering my flowers. I finally planted some this year. I haven't done any gardening in a few years because, frankly, I just couldn't find the time with the kids. I was very excited to do my planters this year and the kids loved helping me.

I love flowers, but I really don't have much of a green thumb. Actually, I completely suck at gardening. I start off very enthusiastic and imagine that by mid-summer I will have these beautiful, hearty flowers all around me. I've learned that I need to plant my annuals in pots and planters. It's a lot easier to dump them out than it is to rip them out of the ground when they die. Thankfully, I seem to be better with kids than plants.

Anyway, I had purchased this really fragrant, gorgeous, hanging planter. The flowers are pink and white. That's all I know. I threw away the stick stating what they were. See, I just don't know what I'm doing here. I hung the planter outside of my front door under the eave. I love to smell them every time I step outside.

We started to notice these little birds loved them too. The kids and I would watch birds flying around the planter all day from the window. It never occurred to me that it was the same 2 birds and that they were a couple, eh-hem. Until last night that is. I went to water my planter, the flowers were somewhat wilty. And yes, I know that's not an actual word. I think I cursed the birds some and just as I went to pour some water in the planter, out one flew and almost took my head off. I ducked and almost fell on my rump. "I bet there's a nest in there!" I say. Hooray, Einstein.

I take the planter down, keeping a watchful eye on mama bird, who is eyeing me from a nearby wire. I'm not looking away, totally fearful she may attack. I look in and sure enough this is what I find:

The picture is dark, but there are 6 little speckled eggs in there. I called the kids to come see, still making sure mama bird is not preparing to peck me in my head. After they oohed and aahhed and I snapped this picture, I carefully placed the planter back up on its hook.

So, what do I do now? Do I keep watering the flowers, making sure to be careful of the nest? Do I just let the flowers die? I would hate to disturb a mother and her babies but shouldn't the flowers be kept alive to help hide her? And those things weren't cheap, neither!

The kids were very excited about the discovery. The boys pulled their arms in their shirts and stuck their elbows back out. They looked like they had wings and were flapping them all around the front of the house as they squawked very loudly. R. who was eating Kix from a paper cup, of course needed to get into the act. She placed her cup on the sidewalk and pulled her arms in her shirt. She couldn't quite grasp the concept of sticking her elbows out so the arms stayed in the shirt. All of a sudden she bends down and sticks her nose in her paper cup. She lifts the cup up with her mouth and walks away.

Mr. Schmitty and I were hysterical, though I can imagine what the people in the car that drove by were thinking. "Look at those cruel adults, they are laughing at the poor child with no arms trying to get a drink."