another set of "multiples"

Earlier this month we noticed that a mama duck made her nest next to the house and a small bush right outside our door.  I imagined the work it would take to keep the boys from going out to the front yard to play.  After about a week we ventured out front and played in the yard but tried to keep it quiet as we went in and out of the door so not to disturb the mama. After another week it was even harder to keep us and the neighbor kids quiet, but mama duck just kept to her corner and I made sure no one made any motions to go towards her and her 12!!!! eggs.

So after doing some research on the web about ducks I learned that they hatch around day 28...which would have been when Mike and I are in Hawaii.  I was a little bummed but perhaps they would hatch after we got back.  Perhaps I had miscalculated ;-)

Every morning I would go to the front window to see where "mama duck" was.  Sometimes she was there and sometimes she was out doing what ducks do.  I would check again around 10:00 to make sure she was back and doing her mama duties.  I'd check on her throughout the day.  It became a habit for the past 4 weeks.

This morning Mike said "I see two baby ducks."  After I scrambled to the window we decided we could see 3, maybe 4.  I took a few pictures which didn't turn out because they were so dark.  While trying to get 3 kids feed and getting dressed for the day (Lauren was still asleep) we kept checking on our new arrivals.
I was in the back of the house when I heard "Jill, come quick."  I made it just in time to see Mama duck in the front yard with her 9 ducklings!  I was snapping pictures with my digital camera and wasn't getting the pictures that I wanted, so I rushed back to get my DSLR and by that time she was close to the road.  I open the door and go out to the yard to snap some more pictures and realize she is going to take them across the street.  I live in a subdivision and the road that I live on is a thoroughfare for the area and it was time to take kids to school, so it gets a little too busy and fast in my opinion.  I'm still in my pj's..which consisted of cotton shorts and a tank top.  I don't care...I'm going to make sure they get across safely.  About the time she is in the middle of the street and I'm just stepping into the street, I can hear a car coming around the corner....whew....it was a policeman.  He saw exactly what was happening and stopped to let mama duck and her babies cross the street.  He waited until she was across and all ducklings made it up on the sidewalk.

After all the babies scaled the curb, they all waddled down the fence line and were on their way to the water!

 

Bye mama duck!

 

I find myself checking her nest to see if she is still there.  Someone pointed out that I now have empty nest syndrome.  I'm sure it will get better over time, especially since I have a trip to Maui in a few days ;-)