Homing Pigeons- Homeschooling With Animals

My dad has been racing and breeding pigeons for about 20 years now.  Daeton has always been fascinated with the pigeons.  From when he was an toddler and my dad let him hold an egg, while it hatched, to him bring a box of baby pigeons to 'show and tell' in preschool.  Daeton is always quick to show friends the loft when they are at my dad's house too.  So, it comes as no surprise, besides that it didn't happen earlier, that Daeton now has his own loft at our house.

It is a small cage that they hooked up to the side of our fence in the back yard.  They put a long table in front of it for the birds to be able to sit on.  This is so they can hang out by the loft.  Once they get a little older and know to go straight in when they get home the table will be removed.

They started with three birds that were a gray/blue color and a few days later my dad gave him three more that were white.  All six of them were quiet young.  Old enough to be away from the nest but not really knowing how to fly yet.  Daeton is learning how to feed and water them, how to let them loose and how to whistle to get them to come in and land.  In the first week he lost one pigeon (it just never made it back to the loft).  My dad said this was probably due to Daeton letting them out so late in the day.  Pigeons can't see good at night and crash into things like power lines or get eaten by owls and hawks.

Right now when they are released they come back in a few hours later.  Daeton is teaching them to be used to being in a crate (special one for the birds) too.  Last week they were crated a few times for about an hour and released.  A few days ago Daeton and my dad crated them, drove them a few blocks away, and released them.  They will take the pigeons farther and farther away and get them used to finding their way home.

Taking care of them is a daily job.  Daeton has to check their food and water in the morning and release them after they see they have food but before they eat it (so they are trained to come home to eat).

He has names for some of them and was worried today when he thought one was grabbed by a hawk (4 were flying in a circle for a while and we didn't see the fifth).  The kids had enrichment classes today but when we got home the fifth one was in the cage.

Loosing them when racing often happens, even under the best circumstances.  This will be another life-lesson.  Some get lost in races, get eaten or even follow a group and go to someone else's loft. .

We Have Kittens 'Twin Boys'

Okay, it has been a few weeks and I keep forgetting to post this but we adopted two boy kittens.  They are brothers and look like twins.  The kids can tell them apart from the markings on their faces.  I tell them apart by the tip of their tails.

Cheetah (Daeton's kitten) has a black tip on his tail.

Pumpkin (Kaela's kitten) has a orange tip on his tail.  He is also a little bit more orange and this color is showing more the older they get.

We got them at 8-weeks-old.  Staci's friend had them.  There was a litter of '6-8'  (she wasn't sure) and these were the last two.  Staci said her friend was going to drop them off at the animal shelter if she couldn't get someone to adopt them and I gave in and said yes.  I knew the kids would love them and with two they wouldn't fight so much.

We also still have Jett.  She is 3 1/2 years old now.

So, am I a 'crazy cat lady' or do I have to have four or more to meet that criteria?  I'm not sure but I KNOW that three is the limit.  The litter box is crazy and if it isn't emptied EVERY SINGLE DAY Jett decides it is 'too full' for her and she will poop in the corner of the living room.

All I keep thinking is 'What did I get myself into?????'

But I look at them and they are so cute, love to cuddle and have great personalities.

I am making the appointment with the vet tomorrow to get them both fixed (I was told to do it before 4 months or they might start marking.).  The local animal shelter has a voucher for a $20 off and our vet has a voucher too, making it $20 each kitten to fix them.

Lets see if they still love me after I put them both through that surgery.

Nest Eggs For Single Moms

I'm not sure about most single parents but if you are like me, you are living month-to-month and barely have anything saved (if anything).  I do not really have a 'nest egg' for myself or children at all.  I keep thinking that THAT will happen when I am remarried (when ever that will happen, considering I am single and not even dating anyone right now) and I have most of the same bills (mainly mortgage and utilities) and a dual-income.


When I think of a nest egg, I can see meaning many different things.  Money to be set away for emergencies like unemployment, a disability, exceptionally large auto or hospital bill, etc.   I can also see a nest egg as money that I should have for when I am old and want to retire and can no longer work, or no longer want to work.  Part of that would be some type of retirement money, like a 504 plan or long-term investments.   Finally, I think of a nest egg as money that should be saved 'just in case.'  I have heard that it is a great plan for people to have three months of their average monthly income in savings.


For me, as a single parent, I have a two main assets my house and my car and a small amount of money saved in an ING account.  I also have some money saved (no not even close to enough) for my children for college.


All of this is something that I need to do soon, now, in the present.  Everyone says the future isn't certain, but it is certain that if someone is broke their whole like that they shouldn't be expecting a miracle when they are old and want to retire.


All of this I need to start on now.  It really comes down to saving more money, budgeting more and spending less.  Sounds easy, right?

My year-end goal is to have that three-month egg nest.  With my 2012 tax return I want to pay off my two (and only two) credit cards that I own.  After that....?  Savings for my retirement, childrens' college and maybe a small fund for a family vacation.


The definition of a nest egg might mean different things to each of us but it all is really about how much money we have set aside.  


It isn't easy being a single parent but ignoring the future isn't going to make it go away.




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