A Bird and A Birthday

 

On the way back from an evening walk, the kids found a baby sparrow that had fallen out of its nest in the upstairs hallway. They made it a shoebox nest, gave it a few things to eat, and left it in our hallway. it was still there in the morning, and Aiden particularly enjoyed caring for it. It let him hold it way more than the rest of us thought possible for a wild bird. All that day there were increasing amounts of twittering in the hallway as worried parents found the nestling. But it wasn't until the next day that they all discovered a way to get their baby back home: an incredibly loud twitter fest all morning long and then silence and an empty box!

Aiden's 9th birthday was yesterday. Quiet, as we're under a strict lockdown, but a good day of celebration with a blueberry pancake breakfast, no school work, no computer time limits, a riddling treasure hunt from Grace, and the requested spaghetti supper and castle cake.

 The two day-of presents were another challenge of a rubix cube and a phone of his own. Not too sure we needed yet another device in the house, but this hopefully replaces rather than adds devices! Its story is unusual also: In trying to buy Grace her phone, we ended up with a lemon of a phone that wouldn't take a sim card.  In requesting a return, the money was refunded but no way was given to return the phone, even after a few attempts. As Aiden doesn't actually need a working phone, this works for us.

And this also must be marked: 

Dad actually bought Mom a birthday present! It was late. We all enjoyed the name but Mom isn't sharing the contents...