One morning shortly after we had all moved in together, I walked into the living room to find our bird Luna’s  cage covered in blood. I figured one of the cats had gotten to her until I realized she was  picking out her feathers. I took her to the vet ($100) who told me the bird was “traumatized” and prescribed a solution of antibiotics and tranquilizers that were to be administered to her via her beak. That night the kids went to their other parents’ houses and my husband and I were alone for the first time in our new home.  Before we could relax we first had to give Luna her medicine. While Paul swaddled the bird in a dish towel, I gingerly tried to pry open her beak with an eye dropper. I guess I pushed too hard because the bird clamped down on Paul’s thumb causing him to  yelp in pain while I watched in horror as my husband  reflexively flung the bird across the room.

I shrieked, “What are you doing? You’re going to kill it! I just paid a $100 vet bill and you’re going to kill the bird!”

“It BIT me,” Paul barked back in his defense.

I assessed Paul’s bleeding thumb while the freaked out bird fluttered around the room, and thought to myself, “This is our first night alone together in our new house and this is how we spend our evening. I should write a book.”

So there you have it. That was the impetus for writing Blended Family Stories. So… if any of you readers have a similar story to tell, please do. I’d love to hear it. Oh, and if it is about shoving an eye dropper up a turtle’s butt, I’ve already heard that one but I’d love to hear it again.