Nesting

Birds are a big thing in our house right now. We have been reading some good books from the library. This one is great because of the sounds. And this one has a sweet story with beautiful illustrations. And this one has great photos which I think have been the inspiration for all of the nests that have been appearing in our house. Blankets entwined with other random items tucked into corners and filled with books and giggling children pretending to be hatching or waiting for worms from their "mama bird". It is very sweet and makes me smile.

In addition to the reading and daily discussions about birds, we also watched "March of the Penguins" for the first time. And I can't stop thinking about it. I wasn't quite prepared for how extreme it would be. I have always thought of penguins as cute, happy, cold weather creatures, but I now have a whole new level of appreciation for them. Really gives new perspective on nesting. The father bird sits on the egg for nearly four months without eating and enduring some serious winter storms! While the father protects the egg, the mother is making a tortuous trek to and from the ocean to get food for her family (while also trying to avoid some very scary seals). With all of the challenges and extreme conditions, it is amazing that they continue to reproduce!