Too Close...

Last night, I was on the phone ordering pizza. As most of you moms know, a phone in the hand = a crying kid somewhere in the house... I think it's a law in some physics book somewhere. Of course last night was no different, and when Taron started his usual wail I hurried and shut myself in my room so I could hear the pizza guy ask me "will there be anything else with that?"

When I came out, I asked what was wrong and he said something about Cody (our puppy -- not so puppy-sized anymore) going upstairs and then Solei's bird (Duke) squacking up a storm and then Cody came down the stairs wagging his tail.

Knowing the bird was safe in a cage, I told Taron not to worry about it, dogs can't open cages. Still he kept freaking out, but was too afraid to go check on the bird, so I told Caden to go check and reassure Taron. A few minutes later I hear a distaught wail upstairs "Dukes gone! He's not in his cage!" My heart shifts into overdrive and I run up the stairs faster than I have in a long time..

Sure enough, the bird is not in his cage and the door is open. I look up hopefully at all his regular perches... nothing. My mind is racing, if he is not up somewhere high, he is within the dog's reach... not good. I hear Taron say, "Hey, I just heard him squeak!" Ihadn't heard anything, it was probably just the door or something. Suddenly someone yells "There he is!" and I follow the pointing finger to the little cockatiel on the floor behind the door. Something doesn't look quite right, there are feathers around him and he looks a little mangled. Solei is now crying and distraught as I run over and pick him up gently, half expecting a stiff bird. He moves. I can breathe again. But is he broken? He seems to be in a sort of daze -- in shock -- but after I hold him for a minute, he takes off and flies to his cage. He's OK.

I don't know what went on up there, but something tells me we had a pretty close call. And with the way this dog will eat anything (even a bar of soap), I say we just experienced a miracle.

One good thing came out of this -- I now have the kids on my side for the argument that the dog only belongs downstairs...