Little Brothers, by Naomi Eby

Only I can tell you the impossibleness
When I yell at them to come pick up their mess
And they give me the hugest of grins
They're little and cute and they make me laugh
But sometimes I forget about that
When they wake me with their din

Those terrible two, what mischief they make
That thing you had perfect, it's sure to "break"
Sometimes I really do wish I had none
But then the smaller one, close to five
Asks, "Will you play?" and it's sure to revive
The spirit of adventure of being young

And yes, they annoy me and get into my stuff
And sometimes it seems they can't grow fast enough
But soon they'll be gone, turned into young men
Then I might sleep in, and they'll not be in my way
But then I will yearn for the days when we'd play
The simple games we used to, then

by Naomi Eby, age 12

Before You Get a Parakeet, by Hannah Eby

Here are a couple tips to having a perfect parakeet. Please read through before you consider getting one.

Food

- You'll need one small pack of normal seed mix and 200 large packs of millet sprays (still, you'll be out of millet before you're out of normal seed mix).
- Fruits, veggies, and cheeses, which will just sit and rot because your parakeet will freak out and act like the food is going to murder it. (Forget healthy foods!)
- Your parakeet will probably end up on a diet of basically millet and your own Chex cereal (very unhealthy for your parakeet).

Safety

- Nail pillows across every single window in the house to avoid your bird trying to go through them (this may result in a fractured skull or broken bones).
- Avoid having anything hot (ovens, light bulbs, etc.) or anything sharp (scissors, knives, etc.) in the house.
- Uninstall any ceiling fans or window air conditioners.

Cleaning

- Take out the cage tray every two minutes to avoid a feather/seed-shell/dropping mess.
- Also manage changing the bird's water every two minutes as well.
- Spread newspaper or any other poop-proof material over everything in the house.
- Change the poop-proof cover three times a day.
- Wear a protective suit (an astronaut suit or a diving suit are some suggestions) whenever holding or handling your bird in any way to avoid being covered in poop and feathers.


Now that you have seen what you need to do to have a perfect bird, make sure you still want one. It's a BIG responsibility. Maybe your bird will just have to live with a not-perfect home.


By Hannah Eby, parakeet owner, age 10

Simple Joys, A Poem by Naomi

Morning peace, evening cuddles
Watching the boys splash through puddles
Sitting with sisters near midnight
Reading together by flashlight
Watching the sunrise at seven a.m.
Playing with brothers and joking with them
Reading with the cat when no one's awake
Seeing the geese out by the lake
Being in nature, full of quiet and peace
Jumping in piles of autumn leaves
When the gerbils do things that make you laugh
Such as rolling so comically in their dust bath
Even hearing Avalynn as she sings
Simple joys are found in so many things