Yes, Lilly is still biting the crap out of me whenever I try to visit with her, and man can she bite HARD—I’m covered with small bluish lumps. And when I take her out of the cage, she still scoots off quick as a hiccup to hide under/behind/within something inconvenient. But per Bird Lady’s advice, I’m talking quietly to her, slowly getting her used to the idea of her cage door being open and my hands coming near her. First thing when I get home every evening, I spend some quiet time with her, standing next to her cage, talking, seeing if she’ll let me come closer…And then I retreat to the garden, where my lovelies let me mingle with them.
Last night at about 7-7:30 Joey yelled outside to me from the living room—“Mommy!! The bird is flying around in here!!” Did I leave the cage door open? Damn! So in I rushed. Joey was still noodged down in the sofa watching TV in the darkened room. My eyes scanned…There! Flapping fast from room to room...a bat.
My body ran me back out the front door and down to the sidewalk without touching any of the 5 porch steps. “JOEY GET OUT IT’S A BAT!!” The boy didn't emerge. I edged back up to the front door and peered in the window…There it is! So I threw the door open and before I could take myself back down the steps, it flapped out the door and right by me. Good bat! But then the damn thing did a fast U-turn and careened back toward me. I ducked and covered, but it peeled off and went the length of the porch and off into the twilight.
Joey, still with much to learn about the world around him, didn’t care about that bat one little bit. While I was running out the door, saving myself, he stayed put and watched his cartoon. I pride myself on being a mother who takes advantage of the educational value of life's experiences, so I explained to him that bats are simply enormous flapping fluttering flying spiders that want nothing more than to tangle themselves in your hair and bite you with sharp pointy bat teeth. But as he explained to me, “Don’t worry Mommy, that was just a silhouette.”
Where did he learn that word?
Joey is so sweet and still says things that make me smile. ! I have a bat story too! I lived in the finished attic of my parents home growing up and one night I awoke to find a bat circling above me, so I got up and descended two flights of stairs and the bat followed . I went to the front door opened it and it flew out.... I thought it amazing because it's a long journey from the attic to the front door .
Posted by: | May 27, 2004 at 10:59 AM
and i bet you didn't touch a single step!
Posted by: em | May 27, 2004 at 11:04 AM
i quite like bats actually.
I hope lilly settles in soon. Personally i like the name banana. Obviously your boy has great taste hehehe. Hey its original!
Posted by: Fluffy | May 27, 2004 at 11:58 AM
Sharp pointy bats teeth?...hair? If I see anyone resembling Meatloaf or Christopher Lee I'm outta here!
Posted by: Ian | May 27, 2004 at 12:42 PM
Right behind you Ian! Like a bat outta hell!!
Fluffy, that's just wrong.
Posted by: em | May 27, 2004 at 01:12 PM
oh, I hate any creature that bites me. I have some stories about biting animals. I admire y our courage and persistance with the birdie :)
Posted by: ags | May 27, 2004 at 05:01 PM
the only bats i have are in my belfry. how that bat got in my belfry i'll never know. (did you just hear groucho marx's voice? i swear i heard groucho.)
have you discovered where he learned silhouette?
Posted by: Enigma | June 04, 2004 at 02:58 PM