Rosie Is a Great Big Red CRANK

[kendrafitz]

Today has not been Rosie's best day. She is mad at me and every time it seems like she forgets, BANG! She remembers and gets me.

Here is the backstory: My 11 year old son has started a little business (computer - Minecraft related). At the moment he is more profitable than I am and my husband wanted him to have his own Paypal and business savings so it doesn't affect my business. We agreed to go to the bank this morning. Unfortunately, we all overslept. So I threw on clothes, a baseball hat and out we went.

When I returned home I was in for it.

Strike 1 was she refused to get off me before we left. So I had to do my stop, drop and roll routine to get her off me. (while everyone else in the house laughed)

Strike 2 was having the gall to go out of the house without giving her a shower and blow dry first.

Strike 3 was me wearing such an offending piece of headgear.

And, I'm OUT! Of the queens good graces that is.

When I got home she seemed fine. Then, she tried to rip my hat off. When that didn't work, she tried to break off the metal piece on the back of the hat. When she was chastised, she paused. Then growled/screeched at me and nipped the back of my neck, HARD. Which then prompted what my husband referred to a wrestling match as I removed her and put her on her tree.

I have taken the hat off, but she has been mad at me on and off all day. Which results in some oh so fun nips. The only bright spot was her favorite visitor (my daughters friend) coming over. But then my daughter showed her friend the hat Rosie hates and we started all over again. Uggh! What a day. First one we have had like this.

She is sitting on my knee preening now and I am gearing up for a fight about bed.

Hoping tomorrow will be better. She turns two on April 1st, so maybe this is just the beginning of a very fun year. Sigh...

[Mare]

I hope Rosie doesn't hold a grudge for too long! You better make sure she get's her shower tomorrow, or else! :th_biggrin:

[kendrafitz]

You and me both! She got my finger pretty nicely when I tried to put her to bed. She refused to kiss me goodnight and was glaring at me once she was in her cage. Shower first thing tomorrow!! :)

[Turquoise]

Oh the terrible twos are going to be fun in your house! You have a total Diva on your hands. LOL Not to mention she is totally spoiled, Mom. :)

[MomtoPercy]

Ouch!! It is tough when they're mad at us! :th_crycry:

[Honesty]

Sorry you had such a bad day with Rosie Kendra!

I can just see this scene in my head of you having to drop and roll on the floor. You just have to get someone to take a video of this :)

Codie is going through the terrible two's as well at the moment :( He will be 3 in September!

[kendrafitz]

Lol! It is ridiculous. Last night Ashie's friends mom was here for a bit. Since it was fairly nice out they were all outside in the gazebo. Rosie would not get off me and I wanted to join them. So I went into the dining room muttering, rolling around on the floor while hoping the woman wouldn't come in and see me. I figured if she did, she would then know how crazy I am and her kids wouldn't be allowed here anymore. ;) Murphy's Law - once I got the cranky queen settled, they all came in. Then the mom stood by Rosie's cage talking to her, obviously wishing I kept her out. All the while Rosie is giving me the stink eye.

Oh no Wendy! I didn't realize Codie was going through his terrible twos. Ugh. I guess we will suffer along together this summer.

On the bright side, Rosie seems to be her happy self today. Yayyy!

[kendrafitz]

De - now WHY would you think she is a diva or spoiled? Lol! I guess I will have lots of stories (& battle scars) to tell for years to come. ;)

[Debra]

Oh, my! Thoughts of this happening is partly why I don't think I'm a good match for the larger birds. Lucy is large enough for me. lol. Glad things are better today.

[kendrafitz]

Lucy is a tough little character.

Really, I was just venting. My life has become so completely ridiculous. ;)

I don't know how other macaw people feel, but I'm not afraid when she acts out. I know her body language well and even when she's mad, she's not going for blood. Maybe that's naive, I don't know. For me, it's more of a pain when she does this stuff. Like a toddler throwing a tantrum. I trust her not to hurt me because she is generally fairly gentle and she has never purposely done so. The one time she did was bc she was panicked - her harness got wrapped around her wing and leg. Not her fault, I would be panicked too. My hand is always in her beak and it's been that way since she was 2 months old. She likes to hold my hand when I am preening her, she lets me know if something starts hurting by putting pressure on my fingers. I can pick her up by her beak, she sometimes likes to hang off my hand from her beak. I think my hand is like a security blanket for her.

So I am not afraid of her and just keep going with what we need to do (like go to bed). I figure if I let her win, she will keep up the unwanted behavior, like kids. Of course if she gets super agitated, we wait a minute or two to calm down and then continue on. A kiss on her cheek usually does the trick. :)

Rosie has been super slow to mature, especially her motor skills. She is turning into a winged monkey as she gets older. I love watching her. However, it is super annoying that she now figured out to use her wings to out maneuver me. Not really flapping, but shrugging and using them to lean on and wrap around me. She is scary smart and willfull, but also sweet and mostly gentle.

Honestly, I think Lucy gives you more of a run for your money than a Mac would! ;). I laugh every time I picture her stalking you in the shower!!!

[Debra]

Haha -- Lucy no longer has the privilege of roaming the floors. She gets supervised out of cage time now and believe it or not, she seems happier with it. She's getting more one on one time with her main squeeze -- her daddy.

It's those beaks that are big enough to break a finger if they have the notion to do so that gets me. I'm sure that they can be as gentle as you say, but I just cannot get past that beak. lol. They would pick up on my fear I'm afraid so I'll just admire from afar.

[plax]

Rosie would not get off me and I wanted to join them. So I went into the dining room muttering, rolling around on the floor while hoping the woman wouldn't come in and see me.That is SOME technique, Kendra!:th_toofunny:

Strike 3... you're OUT! At least you were wearing a baseball hat ;)

[kendrafitz]

I believe it Deb. More Daddy time would do it!!! :)

Tony - thanks for the laugh! ;)

[spiritbird]

I will stick with budgies and cockatiels thank you.

[Honesty]

It's those beaks that are big enough to break a finger if they have the notion to do so that gets me. I'm sure that they can be as gentle as you say, but I just cannot get past that beak. lol. They would pick up on my fear I'm afraid so I'll just admire from afar.I'm with you on this one Debra :)


([Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks])

Rosie would not get off me and I wanted to join them. So I went into the dining room muttering, rolling around on the floor while hoping the woman wouldn't come in and see me.

Oh, I would so love to see this in person :th_hehe:

[kendrafitz]

I get your hesitation with the big beaks Debra and Wendy. I have to say that I am more fearful of the smaller beaks myself. When the small beaks come at you they are fast & seem to really mean business. The macs seem to just go very slowly with pressure, more of a warning, at least in my experience.

Wendy, I am sure that it looks as ridiculous as it feels! My husband usually just shakes his head and walks away. ;)

[Turquoise]

Kendra, you mentioned Rosie has been slow in her development and I see that in Ruby Jewel as well. I think the bigger macaws mature more slowly, just like they usually take longer to wean than B&Gs and Scarlets. Plus Ruby Jewel does not do the 'macaw lunge' like Roscoe and Angel do. Green Wings are so different personality wise than the smaller macaws.

Macaws are very gentle for the most part. My Roscoe can be soothed with a kiss on the top of his beak as long as I am holding his lower part of his top beak. LOL

[Minamommy]

Kendra I am laughing my butt off at your stories!!! I'm glad I'm not the only person that has to go through yoga type antics to get their bird off of them. Mina likes to now hang from the hem of my night gown. Well I don't want my nether region getting a too bite so I go to gently sit down hoping she will step off. Trying to put your hand back there is tantamount to losing some fingers!! Well yesterday spring must have hit our end of PA because like Rosie, Mina got mad at me and went out of her way to attack my face. Well she woke up and remembered she was still pissed after I wouldn't let her hang on the hem of my nightgown. These birds make us act so crazy I wonder if they just sit back when we cover them at night and laugh and laugh.

[kendrafitz]

Kim - I am sure they do laugh to themselves. Those little devils!

I am happy that I am not the only one whose life has turned into a ridiculous 3 ring circus! :) Makes me crazy, but entertaining most of the time. Life is never boring, that's for sure!!

[kendrafitz]

De'Andrea - since Rosie is my only macaw, I don't have anything to compare her to. I'm glad you have some insight to share with me. At first I thought she might just be permanently delayed compared to what I had read. But she is really starting to come into herself now. So I think you are right on, she is just super slow to mature.