Wow! I can't believe it's been almost a year since my last post! Sorry! Is anyone still out there? Well, I have lots of updates so I might do several posts over the next couple of days...
Let's start with the kids:
We've had a full school year, our first year of really participating in activities for everyone. Wes and Andy played football for the first time this year. Wes LOVED it. Andy liked it but didn't like all the effort he had to put into it. I had that thought a few times myself. I wasn't aware that football practice was three times a week, practices going from 5-7:30. Followed by a game every weekend, half being away games. We went as far as Fallon, 2 hours away from home. Yikes. It was tough to juggle football and dance but we figured it out. Sign-ups are soon for next season and Wes is going to do it again. Andy is still undecided.
Kayla and Jake have both been taking dance classes and we're getting excited about the upcoming recital in June! Kayla has been taking Tap and Jazz and Jake has been taking Hip Hop. So fun.
*Side note: Now I know why I haven't blogged in a while. As soon as I try to write I've got kids reading over my shoulder, asking questions and now Lou, our bird, is screaming for attention right behind me! I can't concentrate!!!!!
Anyway, dance classes. Usually the kids have one performance per class. So, one for Jake and two for Kayla. But Jake's class is joining the "big kids" for a special Hip Hop routine that features all the classes together. So they've been working on that since Christmas. Then just last week the owners decided they wanted to change things up a bit for this year's recital and put on an opening "production number" with as many students as possible. So, both my kids really wanted to do it! Ok, Kayla always gets nervous about the recital and was worried about doing two classes this year because she didn't know if she could remember two dances. Guess she's gotten over that fear! And Jake, this is his first recital. He didn't even want to do the recital! I'm pretty proud of them for facing their fears and taking on a challenge. The new number is to a High School Musical 2 song and they only have 6 half hour classes to learn it. They might throw in a Saturday towards the end. I'm excited! I'll let you know how they do.
So other than their activities, AWANA's and school they haven't had a whole lot of time for much else. We've been making the most of our recent weekends by getting our yard cleaned up and planning and planting our garden. I love spring! Flowers in the front of the house, veggies and herbs in back. We're really considering planting a fruit tree. Maybe an apple, cherry or apricot. Hmmm....
Phil and I are good. Can you believe I STILL can't kneel down on my left knee. You gotta love cement walls and black ice. I am enjoying my new Rav4 though, to look on the bright side! Work is good but my commute is going to straight suck next month. Can you believe they are actually closing, CLOSING the road I drive to work for road construction for three weeks! They'll be opening it for weekends only. That makes my half hour commute to work turn into an hour and 15 minutes, if I don't hit much traffic. That's ONE way! How on earth are the department of transportation people even allowed to do something like that! Especially when people are struggling with the economy already! Who's brilliant idea was that? Oh and you know, they say three weeks but it is sure to be longer than that! I am so not happy.
The pets: the cats are cats. Haha. I love my cats but they dont' really do many new things to report. They eat and sleep and tear up boxes, get into my drawers, chase each other, and try to hunt the bird. I love my kitties! Louie is doing really well. He's getting (sorta) cuddly and starting to learn some tricks. He can go "upside down" (hang of our finger underneath by one foot), do "wings"(lift his wings on command) and the one he's working on now is "turn around". He also is starting to immitate us a little. He says "poo poo" "go poo poo" "what?" and occasionally "peek-a-boo". He also immitates some clucking and other random sound we make. His flight feathers are growing back and he's starting to build up his muscles and confidence. Right now, literally, he is hang from one of his toys on his tree and flapping his wings. He basically looks like he's trying to fly to me but he's tethered to the tree. He's just holding on with his foot. Sometimes he lets go and flies to me! A whole foot and a half! BTW, he can fly just fine around the room when he gets spooked so full flight is coming real soon. Not exactly sure how we'll do with keeping him under control when he can fly away from us (or to us for that matter! Right before we had him clipped last time, he would fly to us every chance he got, even if we were tryintg to leave the room, or go to the bathroom, etc!)
Pheeeeew! Are you still reading? Haha. Sorry. Good time to finish for now. I think I've rambled enough. Until next year? Haha, jk, I'll try to do better...
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Louie update
You'd think I didn't have kids or something, I'm so obsessed with my new pet! But I'm proud of the progress we are making. The kids have been great with him, too. Very gentle and patient. He seems to like them, especially because they feed him!
Louie did great yesterday! I managed to slowly coax him out of his cage with an orange and then he started exploring the outside of his cage. He actually wound up falling off the cage while he was trying to stand on his water bottle and landed on the floor. I had the sinking feeling that I was going to have to betray the little bit of trust he has in me by catching him with a towel. But with a little persistance and a lot of patience, Andy and I managedto coax him into climbing a ladder back up to his cage. He was been incredibly brave yesterday and had no signs of aggression even when he was scared. He even went back inside his cage on his own! Oh! and while he was hanging out on his cage I managed to get him to step onto a dowel! I had to hold it really still and coax him onto it rather than take it to him but it's a start! I'm amazed at how quickly he gets over his fears!
Today was another really good day. Louie is amazing. I really don't think he is scared, just cautious. Today when I got home from work (about 2pm. I have yucky hours but it gives me more time with the kids) I opened Louie's cage and he didn't need much coaxing to come out. He really likes the freedom. Today we worked more with the wooden dowel and he did so well. We hit a point where I could actually approach him instead of waiting for him to step up to it. I never actually touched his belly, we worked together and both came half way, but I let it be his decision to make contact. It was amazing to watch him when it clicked that "step up" would get him a bit of his yummy orange. He's so smart. After working with that a bit and getting him comfortable with being moved around on the dowel I was actually able to get him to willingly step up to my hand three times! By the third time he actually stayed a few seconds to eat a bit of his orange and explore my fingernail. A bit of biting but he was fairly gentle so I just ignored it. After all the progress I was giving him a break and sitting ten or so feet away at the dining table talking to my mom and he actually came as close to me as possible and was quietly squacking and bouncing up and down and leaning way out. He obviously wanted my attention. Cute! So I got him to step up on his stick and then, I rushed him a little without realizing it, I took a few slow steps away from his cage and he got nervous and tried to fly back. Poor little guy, I'm still learning. Anyway he landed on the ground but this time it was easy because I just offered him his dowel and said "step up"! I can't believe how fast he is progressing. He has his first vet visit next wednesday and I might actually be able to get him in his travel carrier without scaring him to death!
Wanted to share. I've been in contact with an online conures group and asking questions and keeping them updated so I pretty much just cut and pasted here. They've been really helpful and encouraging. It's nice to have so many people with tons of experience at my fingertips! And they are super nice.
Maybe my next blog will be about my kids. I do remember I have them =)
Louie did great yesterday! I managed to slowly coax him out of his cage with an orange and then he started exploring the outside of his cage. He actually wound up falling off the cage while he was trying to stand on his water bottle and landed on the floor. I had the sinking feeling that I was going to have to betray the little bit of trust he has in me by catching him with a towel. But with a little persistance and a lot of patience, Andy and I managedto coax him into climbing a ladder back up to his cage. He was been incredibly brave yesterday and had no signs of aggression even when he was scared. He even went back inside his cage on his own! Oh! and while he was hanging out on his cage I managed to get him to step onto a dowel! I had to hold it really still and coax him onto it rather than take it to him but it's a start! I'm amazed at how quickly he gets over his fears!
Today was another really good day. Louie is amazing. I really don't think he is scared, just cautious. Today when I got home from work (about 2pm. I have yucky hours but it gives me more time with the kids) I opened Louie's cage and he didn't need much coaxing to come out. He really likes the freedom. Today we worked more with the wooden dowel and he did so well. We hit a point where I could actually approach him instead of waiting for him to step up to it. I never actually touched his belly, we worked together and both came half way, but I let it be his decision to make contact. It was amazing to watch him when it clicked that "step up" would get him a bit of his yummy orange. He's so smart. After working with that a bit and getting him comfortable with being moved around on the dowel I was actually able to get him to willingly step up to my hand three times! By the third time he actually stayed a few seconds to eat a bit of his orange and explore my fingernail. A bit of biting but he was fairly gentle so I just ignored it. After all the progress I was giving him a break and sitting ten or so feet away at the dining table talking to my mom and he actually came as close to me as possible and was quietly squacking and bouncing up and down and leaning way out. He obviously wanted my attention. Cute! So I got him to step up on his stick and then, I rushed him a little without realizing it, I took a few slow steps away from his cage and he got nervous and tried to fly back. Poor little guy, I'm still learning. Anyway he landed on the ground but this time it was easy because I just offered him his dowel and said "step up"! I can't believe how fast he is progressing. He has his first vet visit next wednesday and I might actually be able to get him in his travel carrier without scaring him to death!
Wanted to share. I've been in contact with an online conures group and asking questions and keeping them updated so I pretty much just cut and pasted here. They've been really helpful and encouraging. It's nice to have so many people with tons of experience at my fingertips! And they are super nice.
Maybe my next blog will be about my kids. I do remember I have them =)
Monday, June 09, 2008
Watermelon!
So we've discovered some of his favorite foods are watermelon and omg! oranges! This could possibly be because is still too scared to go down to his water dish. I'm considering getting a water bottle so I can put it up a little higher for a while. Today I got some big leaf lettuce and drenched one in water and offered it to him hoping he would drink the water, which he did, but then he decided he'd rather have a bath instead and went pretty crazy. He LOVES to bathe. Now I know that won't be a problem. I was a little concerned he hadn't been bathing while he was at the pet store. I'll try to get some video next time. He is so cute. All excited, jumping at the lettuce and rolling around. He kept losing his balance and practically falling off his perch. Too cute. Anyway, in the mean time, here's a video of Andy feeding him watermelon. Not quite as exciting...
Sunday, June 08, 2008
Meet our newest addition!
This is Louie. He's our new Jenday Conure. Isn't he cute? We've been on a waiting list for a while now for a baby Sun Conure. In our excitement we've been visiting any pet store we can to see the birds. We met Louie (then Juno) about 4 months ago. He seemed sweet but we had our hearts set on a sun and when we questioned the pet store people about Louie they said he wasn't very nice and was starting to bite. So that solidified our decision.
However, over the past months we've been to our local pet store where Louie was just about every weekend. We have watched him go downhill. Every time we saw him he looked more and more unhappy and depressed. Over the last few weeks Phil and I have thought seriously about making him part of our family. It didn't seem right that we had this nice big clean cage and all kinds of toys just sitting around waiting on a baby to hatch when this sad little bird really needed a loving home. So, we took the risk, even though the pet store personel tried to talk us out of it. He is not allowing anyone to hold him right now and seems really fearful of human hands.
I am pleased to tell you he had a VERY good first day with us. He relaxed in his new cage pretty quickly and immediately showed signs of social behavior. He comes over to you as close as he can get when you come up to the cage. We started hand feeding him some oranges and watermelon through the cage bars and by the end of tonight he hurries over whenever we walk up to his cage and looks for food. We were even able to open the cage to move perches around and clean up a little and he did pretty well with it. I think we may be able to brave handling him in a few weeks. (Although, we have to take him to the vet within 14 day in case he has any health issue that would give us reason to return him. And for that we have to somehow get him into his travel carrier without scaring him to death!)
Wish us luck and we'll keep you posted. I'm going to try to post some videos I took soon.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
What was I thinking?
Poor kitty! He never cleans his back, maybe because he's a tad over weight. And I was telling my husband how easy it would be to just bring him in the shower (not on!) with me with a teeny bit of water and a cup and shampoo him really quick. Hey! They do it for cat shows! So now Mocha's pissed and I'm bleeding!
See those claws! He's so good natured. He never uses them. He lets the kids drag him around, Phil torments, I mean plays with him. He even puts up with an occasional visit from my parents' dog. He does not, however, like water. So now I know.
Look at that face! He hates me. Poor kitty! But now he smells like baby shampoo! And he's actually cleaning his back! Which was, by the way, the ONLY thing I managed to wash. And only with my husbands help and a lot of sweet talking and promises of treats. I did mention this cat is mellow, right? He lays back and lets my husband clip his claws like he's at a spa getting a manicure. But I guess even he has his limits! Just thought I'd share. Now I'm off to get some peroxide!Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Tag!
Did I mention I suck at keeping up on things! Ok, just plan to expect 6 or so posts a year. And they will just happen to be about random things that have caught my interest at the time.
So, I've been tagged. And because it involves books, it interests me. Ok, that makes me sound like a complete bookworm. I do have a social life, just sometimes the book prevails! Anyway...
The rules:
Pick up the nearest book of 123 pages or more.
Flip to page 123.
Find the first 5 sentences.
Post the next 3 sentences.
Tag 5 people.
Ok, my current read is Ken Follett's "World Without End" (Book without end! But, man, it's good!) :
"Ah, but you didn't have to get the cow past me and these people."
Gwenda's heart leaped with hope. She was not sure how many of the bystanders supported her, but if it came to a fight they were more likely to side with Madge, who was a townswoman, than Sim, an outsider.
So, I promise, the book isn't about cows!
If you're reading this, you're tagged!
So, I've been tagged. And because it involves books, it interests me. Ok, that makes me sound like a complete bookworm. I do have a social life, just sometimes the book prevails! Anyway...
The rules:
Pick up the nearest book of 123 pages or more.
Flip to page 123.
Find the first 5 sentences.
Post the next 3 sentences.
Tag 5 people.
Ok, my current read is Ken Follett's "World Without End" (Book without end! But, man, it's good!) :
"Ah, but you didn't have to get the cow past me and these people."
Gwenda's heart leaped with hope. She was not sure how many of the bystanders supported her, but if it came to a fight they were more likely to side with Madge, who was a townswoman, than Sim, an outsider.
So, I promise, the book isn't about cows!
If you're reading this, you're tagged!
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
How perfect?
Totally copying my cousin, Lisa. But hey! at least it's a post! Happy Thanksgiving everybody!!
You Belong in Paris |
 Stylish and expressive, you were meant for Paris. The art, the fashion, the wine! Whether you're enjoying the cafe life or a beautiful park... You'll love living in the most chic place on earth. |
Thursday, November 01, 2007
I'm here! I'm here!
I'm just a slacker with nothing interesting to say. But, thank you Lisa, for letting me know there's someone who reads my blog! Here's some pictures for you. And I'll try to think of something to say soon, I promise!
Sunday, July 01, 2007
Kayla's Dance Recital
In case you missed it...
Sorry about the shaking!
Kayla is the girl in the middle...
Sorry about the shaking!
Kayla is the girl in the middle...
Cute hair
You can't see the glitter. She even had a little mascara and lip gloss (of course, she won't be allowed to wear make up until she's much older, but I made an exception for the show).
The Pepsi machine
Everyone was saying "Don't get the Pepsi machine in the picture", so here it is...
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Star Wars Training
I dont' have much to say, but I have some pictures to share at least. We went to LA for a family reunion and took a little side trip to Disneyland. The kids were really good!
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