Little Miss and the Mother Bird

One morning I came downstairs from brushing my teeth and for a half a minute I could not find Little Miss.  Something passed by outside the north window, and through the rain I could see a little white hand pulling the gate shut.

She came in the back door, wearing her long, hot pink raincoat and running shoes, and was soaking wet.  Before I could give her a lecture on going outside without telling me, she said, "I needed to check on the bird's nest in the tree out front and make sure the eggs were okay in the rain.  I covered it with leaves to keep the eggs dry.  That mother bird is NEVER THERE!"  She shook her clothes off as she gave her own little lecture on taking care of babies, and I hid a smile.

A few days later, I stepped out on the front porch and found two backpacks on the lawn.  I looked up and found the kids they belonged to (mine).  There they were, climbing up a pine tree (Mrs. Google still can't believe it was a pine tree), peering into a bird's nest.  My son says there are two bright blue eggs inside, so Little Miss's leaf protection plan must've done the trick.

But I am amused by how much "mothering" is ingrained in her.  She fusses over her little cousins, carries toy babies with her everywhere, and even marries off her brother's hot wheels cars.  Family is important to Little Miss.

Perhaps that is why she is so inherently bossy.  She wants to be in charge.  She wants to be the "mom".    Or maybe she doesn't think the rest of us are doing it right!  I remember as a girl "trading places" with my mom.  It was a game we played where I would be the mom and she would be the daughter.  I got to boss her around for a time, and she would whine and complain and throw her things on the floor.  When evening came, however, I couldn't get mom to go to bed and let me stay up to watch TV.  That was when the game ended (or when it was time for the "adults" to do dishes).  But I, too, had that desire to be in charge.

Little Miss keeps asking me where the mother bird has gone.  Perhaps she's gone for food, I say, or digging for worms?  She scrunched up her face a bit, trying to imagine where the bird might have gone, but despite what she thinks, I am sure the mother is out there working hard for her babies.  Just like the rest of us.

*****

I was supposed to post this on Mother's Day but was having too much of a good time.  I hope you all had a wonderful day, and I wish you many blessings in raising your children - especially the red-headed ones!