The Orphaned Sparrow

This little guy was found (twice) in our yard yesterday. The first time the boys had found him out back and brought him to me. I let him go out front (without the boys knowing because I didn't want them following him again). Well, the second time he was traveling IN the red wagon being pulled by the boys. should I mention that the boys had him " in a seatwell? "swimming" Look mom! He's swimming!
Well, I about lost it right them and there and had a nice talk with them about how we DONT do that to animals!!! Ughhhhh...
So, Now this little guy was inside being gently, carefully blow-dried by me. Yes, I said blowdried. He was soaked to the skin and I put the dryer on low and cool and worked his wings open and gently dried him.
Thanks to YouTube I looked up on what to do with this little guy.
It said:
1) Put him in a warm dry box with paper towels (I added a heating pad underneath) Cozy!
2) Put dry dog-food in some water and turn it to mush (yummmmmm)~~~ gagging
3) Feed the little guy with a syringe tube... every 20 minutes because the mother bird make 300 trips a day to the nest! Holy Shi* I thought humans were busy!

So, he took to the syringe right off, makes a bit of a mess but when I try to clean his beak he bites me (I thought this was a little ungrateful but considering my boys had him floating in their wagon.... yeah, I am owed...)

So, here he is. I hope he makes it. He looks so near being able to be on his own yet he still can't fly. So, maybe after about 20,000 feedings he'll be ready?
So much for my free-time now that the kids are in school! Funny how that works!

I should go, its bout time for his meal...

UPDATE****
After 2 weeks of feeding, cleaning and sustaining numerous bird-bites this little fella was raring to return to the wild. He twice escaped his little box area and managed to avoid the verry cunning Rat Terrier (Petey) by hiding under a sideboard. This bird is one lucky frigging bird...
I brought him outside (holding him) while he bit the crap out of my hand~~~ I kept thinking how strong he was! I set him in the bushes and he was gone in seconds! Gone as in flew away! And if he is as lucky in the first part of his little life as he in in this next chapter then I have no worries about him. I am sure he has learned to NOT trust small children~~~ LOL

Early empty nest as ALL THREE kids start school this year!

Wow! IT happened! My littlest one started Kindergarten! He joined the school-age ranks where he seriously is so proud to wear his action figure backpack and walk to school with his older brother who is in 2nd grade already! Not to mention I have one in 11th grade!!! Wow!!!
The first thing I think of is I wish I could call my mom and tell her about it! But the long distance on that call is outrageous...lol
I'll just have to beam all by myself :o)
I had to laugh (as I about choked) when Maddie mentioned to me some accelerated program where she could finish her 11th grade classes and 12th grade in one year then graduate... WHHHHOOOOOAAAHHHHH! (Screeeeetch! The sound of slammed brakes and tires screeching on an out of control car fade in about NOW!)
Ummmm... enjoy your last two years of high school while mom figures out how to handle you leaving for college... Lets not rush this! right? lol
So, here are the boys on their first day of school right before we left to walk there. Yes, they have matching shirts...so what! lol
The second is Maddie giving me the "OH MY GOD MOMMMM!!! ARE YOU SERIOUSLY GOING TO TAKE A PICTURE OF ME RIGHT HERE IN FRONT OF THE SCHOOL WHERE POTENTIALLY EVERYBODY CAN WITNESS THIS AND EMBARRASS ME?"
SOrry to have that in all CAPS but if you have a teenager you'll understand that yes, they pretty much talk that loud when getting totally embarrassed!
Plus, I can't stop tradition, right? She's had her picture taken every year on the first day.
So, since family and friends are not within 3,000 miles of us, you too can see them. And I can't help but laugh about you seeing the look on Maddies face... One day she'll laugh.