Today I took my kids to feed the ducks at Flow Serve- they have the nicest ducks; and they also have huge carp that will literally jump out of the water to eat. The boys think this is awesome.
For baby girl- this is the first time that I have taken her when
she is actually aware of what we are doing. We went a few times last year but she just sat happily in her snuggli or stroller and watched the clouds. She has an obsession with our Bob’s (the name that all the chickens have) and LOVES
when they come really close to her so she can try to touch them. It is very common that she walks behind the flock of Bob’s, arms out stretched and calling to them “Bob, Bob…” I know she is really saying ‘come here and just let me hold you for a minute, you curious thing.’ I was certain that with this love of all things Bob that she would think that feeding the ducks was the second best thing in the world. (Spoiled little thing is still being nursed. Nuff said about her favorite thing.) We got there and the ducks (and geese) all ran up near our car- they are smart little buggers and must have sensed that we had bread for them. We got out and starting ripping bread to give to our feathered friends. Kenaley sat right on the grass with me crouched down behind her. She know that this is what she has to do to get the Bob’s close to her. I started throwing out bread for her and she was amazed.
You see, the Bob’s don’t come over when we try to get them to eat next to her. I think that they know her as super-sonic-ear-piercing-screamer, so they steer clear of her. But, these ducks had never heard her go super sonic. They All started eating within arms reach of her and she did what any 1 year old would do: scream in super sonic mode in pure delight and excitement.
Then it happened: the group of about 10 ducks gathered around us all flapped their wings and flew/waddled away in a hasty kind of manner.
Kenaley. Freaked. Out.
I couldn’t help but laugh. She was so very scared of this different looking Bob (she actually was calling them Bob the whole time-
it’s what all 2 legged feathered things are.) She thought they were friends and she wanted to tell them, in that super sonic kind of way that she loved them. And they broke that friendship with the flapping of the wings. And this was all within the first 2 minutes of our arrival.
She then became allergic to the floor- when the legs magnetically stick to my hip and any sudden movement of my arm holding her results in tightening of the legs/arm and a little whimper to remind me that she is not okay with me letting her go.
It took about 10 minutes of me standing way back from the pond, just watching the boys feed the ducks that she was finally comfortable enough to get down and ask the ducks if they could be friends again. She followed one around for a minute and
when I threw out a piece of bread that made the duck stop in front of her, she put her hands out for me to give her a piece of bread. So I did. She held it out to the duck, not knowing that throwing it was part of the deal we humans have with ducks.
Apparently, the duck missed that day in Duck Feeding 101. Because this duck came right up and ate it out f baby girl’s hand. Right out of it. Luckily, the duck didn’t bite the tiny little fingers, just the bread. Kenaley had a friend for life. She followed that duck around for the next 20 minutes stopping to ask me for a new treat for her “Bob” and then yanking her little hand back as soon as the duck got it from her, laughing and crouching down like the most excited of any one year olds does. The boys were happily trying to touch the carp that would jump up to snatch bread from the ducks, screaming with excitement each time they did.
Afternoon well spent.
I mean, other than the unnecessary flapping of the wings when the super sonic occurred.
For baby girl- this is the first time that I have taken her when
she is actually aware of what we are doing. We went a few times last year but she just sat happily in her snuggli or stroller and watched the clouds. She has an obsession with our Bob’s (the name that all the chickens have) and LOVES
when they come really close to her so she can try to touch them. It is very common that she walks behind the flock of Bob’s, arms out stretched and calling to them “Bob, Bob…” I know she is really saying ‘come here and just let me hold you for a minute, you curious thing.’ I was certain that with this love of all things Bob that she would think that feeding the ducks was the second best thing in the world. (Spoiled little thing is still being nursed. Nuff said about her favorite thing.) We got there and the ducks (and geese) all ran up near our car- they are smart little buggers and must have sensed that we had bread for them. We got out and starting ripping bread to give to our feathered friends. Kenaley sat right on the grass with me crouched down behind her. She know that this is what she has to do to get the Bob’s close to her. I started throwing out bread for her and she was amazed.
You see, the Bob’s don’t come over when we try to get them to eat next to her. I think that they know her as super-sonic-ear-piercing-screamer, so they steer clear of her. But, these ducks had never heard her go super sonic. They All started eating within arms reach of her and she did what any 1 year old would do: scream in super sonic mode in pure delight and excitement.
Then it happened: the group of about 10 ducks gathered around us all flapped their wings and flew/waddled away in a hasty kind of manner.
Kenaley. Freaked. Out.
I couldn’t help but laugh. She was so very scared of this different looking Bob (she actually was calling them Bob the whole time-
it’s what all 2 legged feathered things are.) She thought they were friends and she wanted to tell them, in that super sonic kind of way that she loved them. And they broke that friendship with the flapping of the wings. And this was all within the first 2 minutes of our arrival.
She then became allergic to the floor- when the legs magnetically stick to my hip and any sudden movement of my arm holding her results in tightening of the legs/arm and a little whimper to remind me that she is not okay with me letting her go.
It took about 10 minutes of me standing way back from the pond, just watching the boys feed the ducks that she was finally comfortable enough to get down and ask the ducks if they could be friends again. She followed one around for a minute and
when I threw out a piece of bread that made the duck stop in front of her, she put her hands out for me to give her a piece of bread. So I did. She held it out to the duck, not knowing that throwing it was part of the deal we humans have with ducks.
Apparently, the duck missed that day in Duck Feeding 101. Because this duck came right up and ate it out f baby girl’s hand. Right out of it. Luckily, the duck didn’t bite the tiny little fingers, just the bread. Kenaley had a friend for life. She followed that duck around for the next 20 minutes stopping to ask me for a new treat for her “Bob” and then yanking her little hand back as soon as the duck got it from her, laughing and crouching down like the most excited of any one year olds does. The boys were happily trying to touch the carp that would jump up to snatch bread from the ducks, screaming with excitement each time they did.
Afternoon well spent.
I mean, other than the unnecessary flapping of the wings when the super sonic occurred.
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