bird babies

A few months ago at Walmart:

Studoc: "Let's get a hummingbird feeder."

Me:  "Why?"

Studoc:  "It would be fun to watch the hummingbirds eat and fly around out on our balcony."

Me:  "Yeah, but then I'll get stuck having to refill their sugar water all the time.  I've got enough to do taking care of our son."

Studoc:  "I'll refill it.  Plus, (pointing to son) he'd like watching them fly around out there, too."

Me:  (now feeling like if I say no I'd be denying my child a simple pleasure) "Well, okay.  As long as you promise you will be in charge of refilling the sugar water.  They are YOUR bird babies."

Studoc:  "Okay!  You'll see, you'll like watching them, too."

Enter the bird babies

A few weeks later at Walmart:

Studoc:  "Let's get another hummingbird feeder."

Me:  "What?  Why?  We already have one!"

Studoc:  "I have to refill the feeder like every other day.  If we get another one, a bigger one, I won't have to refill as often."

Me:  "I don't want another one.  Especially not a bigger one.  Then we're gonna be those weird people with tons of bird feeders on their apartment balcony."

Studoc:  "It won't be that bad.  Haven't you enjoyed watching the birds?"

Me:  (sigh) "Yes."

Studoc:  "Then let's get another one and we'll have even more birds.  It'll be fun!"

Me:  "Okay, but I seriously draw the line at 2 feeders.  Seriously.  Any more feeders and you'll become the crazy cat lady's male equivalent, only with birds."
Studoc:  (laughs and fully appreciates the Simpsons reference)

Enter the super-sized feeder IN ADDITION to the smaller one

We get so many hummingbirds

For reals

Apparently hummingbirds are quite territorial.  They constantly fight to be king (or queen) of the feeder.

It's normal for us to watch 8-12 birds twittering about out there.
Studoc had fun numbering them in this picture.

View from my "spot" on our couch.  I have to admit, they are fun to watch so closely!

Here is a video of the balcony bird babies and their daily antics.  If you listen closely, you can hear them tweeting.  If you watch closely, you can see flashes of a smaller black dot dash around.  That's the bee that tries to scare the birds away from the feeder.  If you wonder who wins out in a bee/hummingbird showdown, the bee usually does!

Truth be told, I enjoy watching the birds.  And Studoc has stayed true to his word about being in charge of the refills.  I think he likes having other things to do and set his mind to other than med school stuff all the time.  It's good for him.

A few days ago at home:

Studoc:  "Even with the 2 feeders, I have to refill them every 3 days.  We're going out of town for a week soon, and if they run out of food I've read they may not come back."

Me:  "Honey, I really don't think we should buy more feeders.  We've gone out of town before and they came back."

Studoc:  (thinks for a minute) "Then I'll try to fashion another feeder out of Rubbermaid tupperware we're not using."

Me:   "Oh, dear...."

Love Story

Studoc and I met at a church activity at a roller skating rink surrounded by our friends.  While skating in the middle of the rink, a guy friend of mine bet me 3 dollars to ask "that guy sitting down over there" (pointing at Studoc) to skate with me.  I didn't know him, but being the starving college student I was, 3 dollars may as well have been the lottery.  Plus, "that guy over there" was really good-looking .  (Win-win!)  So against all my rules of never "making the first move," I went up to Studoc and asked him to skate with me.  We skated and talked nonstop for the rest of the night about anything and everything.  We just clicked.

The end of the night came, and everyone loitered around outside the rink.  I chatted with my girlfriends to stall and give Studoc time to come up and ask for my number.  What was taking him so long?  We talked all night and he still hasn't asked for my number!  Finally, when girl conversation died out and I felt I did my job to make myself available, I walked across the parking lot towards my car and thought "Well, if he really wants my number, he'll get it somehow."

The moment I reached my car and opened the door, I saw Studoc SPRINTING across the parking lot towards me.  That image is forever burned into my memory.  It was like the end of a cheesy chick flick where the guy has to chase after and catch the girl thereby solidifying the relationship.  I loved it!  He hardcore ran full speed allllll the way to where I was, in front of his teasing guy friends, because he had to get my number and see me again.  (He was too nervous earlier.)  So now our joke is that even though I technically made the first move and asked him to skate, he still had to literally RUN after me.

A year later we got married in the San Diego LDS Temple.  Five years of marriage and one baby later, we still can't get enough of each other...all because of a bet for 3 dollars.  Which I still have yet to receive! :)

~*~*~*~

One important lesson I took home from the story of how we met is that amazing things can happen when and how you least expect it.  I went into that skating rink feeling seriously confused about my dating life, and finding my future husband that night was the absolute last thing I expected.  But everything happens for a reason.  I was where I was supposed to be.

I also relate it to medical school.  If you had told me a few years ago that we'd move to this city in California and be attending medical school, I'd have said you're on crazy pills.  Not that this city isn't beautifully lovely--just completely unexpected.  But everything happens for a reason.  And I take comfort in knowing that right now I am where I am supposed to be.

And that maybe someday I'll collect those well-deserved 3 dollars.