Pacsckall

Last night I could not get to sleep. Could not. Neither could Allison. We both could have used some Benadryl (Dr. Benny, as my sweet friend Tracy calls it) but we didn't have any in the house. I tossed and turned, slept for short periods during which I had stupid dreams that made absolutely no sense, then would wake up and toss and turn some more. I knew this morning would be no bueno since the girls were all going back to school after two weeks of staying up way too late and sleeping in later than than they have in their whole lives. So, I prayed around 3:00 a.m. that the Lord would PLEASE help me get to sleep and help me wake up and be fully awake and ready to start the day when the alarm went off.

So, the alarm went off, I pushed snooze once, then got up and put some sausage in the sink to thaw because the girls had requested pan sausage and toast for breakfast. On my way back to my room I heard this "thud." I thought one of the girls had fallen out of bed and went to check on them, but they were all still sound asleep. Back to the kitchen to pour coffee and another "thud." My thought: "What the crap?!"

Next I hear some fluttering and see something large zooming across the kitchen in my peripheral vision. I thought there was some kind of big insect in the house, like a locust or some sort of huge moth, but no. It was a bird. Good morning bird. Please do not poop in my house. Please leave.

I opened the door and that ding dong flew and lighted on top of the door but would not fly out. Back and forth it flew to the formal living room, the play room, the ceiling fan, the light fixture in the breakfast room, the door again. This went on and on. Finally I opened the front door and tried confusing him by turning the lights on and off, on and off. I stopped that because my attentive neighbors across the street might think I was trying to send a distress signal. Mr. Mike packs, (in case you're not a member of the NRA, "packs" means he has his handgun license and carries a handgun...often) and I didn't want him coming over to save the day only to find out there's a bird in the house.

I decided this was the Lord's answer to my prayers to help me wake up, because let me tell you, I was awake. I also decided this was a fun way to get the girls up and a great distraction for the obvious bummer that today was indeed the day we all had to get back to our routines. I got the girls up and Emma was having the time of her life watching this bird fly around the house in between begging me to consider keeping the bird. Emma named the bird Pasqal (I think that's the correct spelling - isn't that a math word?) after the lizard that is in the movie, "Tangled."

Alas, while the girls were getting dressed in their room, Pasqal flew outside and I think he or she is trying to build a nest in the azalea bushes in front of the house. Mark said there was a bird trying to build a nest early this morning in the Christmas wreath that is still hanging on the door.

The next bit of drama was that my car wouldn't start. The battery must be on its last leg, so I had to call Mark and he walked me through jumping it with our battery charger.

The devil tried and tried, but did not succeed in stealing my joy. We set a bird free, had a healthy breakfast, made lunches, jumped the car off and still got three girls off to school on time. Glory to God for answered prayers and His amazing sense of humor! If he owns the cattle on a thousand hills, you'd better believe humor belongs to Him too. He makes me smile.