Inara Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Hi everyone! It has been ages since we've been here. Had some wonky problems getting onto the site awhile back, then I completely forgot my password, and finally thought to have it reset. Inara is now 3 years and 8 months old and is just such a little smarty pants. She continues to be healthy and happy as a little clam. Still not a snuggler (don't expect her to be) but she loves to be near, and adores beak kisses and having her toes and feet played with. She talks up an absolute storm and loves to carry on conversations. One afternoon a couple of weeks ago I was in the bathtub, the house was super quiet, and this little voice piped up with: Inara: Are you there? me: Yes, I am here. Inara: Are you in the shower? me: Yes, I am in the shower. (I don't differentiate between bath and shower) Inara: I like a shower. me: Yep. I like a good shower too. Inara: I like the tree. me: Yes, you have a very fine tree. Inara: Do you want to go to the tree? me: No, because I am in the shower. Inara: Do you like the tree. me: Yes, I said it is a very good tree. Inara: Let's go to the tree. me: No. I am staying here. Inara: How about a cookie? Want to share a cookie? me: OK, I give up. We can share a cookie me <---- leaves a perfectly good bubble bath to go share an ok almond butter sandwich This week she began asking me, "Are you a girl?" Something that we don't ask her, because we know she is a girl. So I say, "Yes, I am a girl. You are a bird, Dezi is a dog, and I am a girl." then "Is Dezi a girl?" "Well, Dezi is a girl dog." "OK. Hi Girls!!" -- Pretty concrete thinking. But where she blew me away was a week recently when it had been very cold and snowy. She knows what snow is and what snowing means, and has used those words since she was 2 when she either sees snow, or feels snow coming. She also makes a "whooshing" sound for when it is really windy (her own sound). She was on her tree (see above photo) which sits in front of 2 story high solar windows so she can see from ground to sky. She was looking up at the sky, and said, "It is cold up in the sky." and a heartbeat later it began to snow. She felt it coming and verbalized it in a way that showed that she knew it was going to come from the sky. She also sings a little made up by herself song that goes, "up high, way up, in the sky." That is the entire song and she sings it to her own made up tune. In any event, she continues to talk her pretty little beak off, and is the most cheerful little gal going. She's been molting like crazy, which does make her a bit more stand offish than usual. She loves her tree that she got around Christmas, and often when she wakes up she will say, "Good morning tree." She tells me when she wants to go to her tree, and she will ask me, "You want to go to the chair?" which is where I sit when she is in her tree. I drink my coffee, and look at things on my tablet, while she putters around in her tree. She has also over the past few months, begun feeding our dog from her cage. Our dog now treats Inara with starry eyed love and cruises by her cage as if it is her (the dog's) own personal drive up snack bar! Have missed everyone, and have been enjoying catching up on posts and to see who has been up to what. Never a dull moment with our fine feathered companions! I've taken a lot of video lately with my tablet, and once I figure out how to edit it down and upload somewhere will share. Until then love to all from HRH Inara and me, Inara's human. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neoow Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 What an awesome update! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BaileysPapa Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 That is terrific! Her understanding, and speaking in context, is great. How did you get her to understand all of that? My Bailey (almost 2) says lots of words, but not so much in actual conversation. He does come out with occasional sentences that make sense together, but, not like Inara. I talk to him all the time. But, he picks out what he likes, and repeats those words. You have to give us online webinars on Parrot-Speak. You should be very proud. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brat Birds Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Wow. HRH hasn't stepped off her throne for a minute, has she? LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inara Posted March 13, 2015 Author Share Posted March 13, 2015 (edited) Brat Birds, you are So correct! She still orders me to "Go get the cookie!" every chance she gets. BaileysPapa, Bailey is almost 2, and Inara had just barely turned two when she came to live with us. At that time, she was doing exactly what you've described Bailey as doing now at that same age range. So just keep talking to him, and refrain from falling into the "mimic" routine of just teaching him to mimic. Just do what you are doing, and when he does say words, find a way to repeat that word back to him in a sentence. Then just talk to him/with him as you would a toddler or foreigner. For example when Inara would say "cookie" I would say, "I like cookies. Do you like cookies? Do you want a cookie?" or when I would leave the room I'd say, "I'm going to the kitchen to cook." then "I am cooking in here, now." Just describing to her verbally everything I'm doing, and what she is doing, and where she is, etc. And I don't ever talk in shorthand/baby talk with her. I use complete words and sentences. So she does too now for the most part. Other times, she just does her R2D2 sounds and sometimes just gets stuck on her phrase or word of the week. When she comes up with something new, or when something strikes her fancy, she will perseverate on it for a few days over and over and then incorporates it into her overall language. It's very fun to see her learning process. I am betting that Bailey will start busting loose within the next 6 months. We all know that each bird is unique and some will enjoy language, some will enjoy snuggling, some will be escape artists, and some are the silent types, etc. She just likes conversing more than anything else. She'd rather chat than play with toys. For now anyway -- who knows what she'll be up to a year from now. Edited March 13, 2015 by Inara Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BaileysPapa Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Thank you. That's encouraging. I agree with talking normally to them. They really are like young children learning to speak. We already know that they're like children in so many other ways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kizzybird Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Amazing! Love your stories! Kizzy says Hi! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRSeedBurners Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Gawd stories like this make me jealous. I have a mute bird. None of our birds talk. I wonder if it's us? We baby talk them and probably way too much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sanveaz Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 So great to hear how Inara is doing. She has an amazing vocabulary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acappella Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 That's a beautiful pictur and update of a smarty pants little girl. Glad you're both back to the forums. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murfchck Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Welcome back! Glad all is going so well with HRH, the update was great to read! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katana600 Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Its so good to have an update from you and Inara. She is charming and an integral part of your heart and soul. You are both so blessed for you to be her chosen one. You are devoted to making her life the best it can be and she shines from your attention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve 2 Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Well the closest I got to conversation in context with Toulouse (tag) was while I was talking with my son. Jay was telling me about a horror movie he had seen on TV. "Dad" he said, "when the emergency crew boarded the plane everyone, even the pilot on the plane was dead!" Right on cue from the other room Toulouse pips in with "AHHHHHHHHH!!!" Oh well, guess Toulouse just loves drama. =) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chezron Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 Thank you for the update. Nice to hear about such a remarkable girl. Good for you and enjoy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywings Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 She is exceptional in her usage of our language, if we only spoke theirs so well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kins2321@yahoo.com Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Awww... Inara is doing so well! Shows that you are patient with her. I LOVED when Sophie understood more the " context" of our conversations! It was amazing! It continues today. Never give up on the snuggling expectation. Sophie snuggled more after four ( my favorite year). If you " don't expect it... they can't deliver!". Encourage snuggling time always....of course they set the stage and tolerance. Nancy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kins2321@yahoo.com Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 BaileysPapa... Bailey is doing GREAT for the age of two! This is the most difficult year for parents, in my opinion. Terrible twos, biting, no interest in listening or learning... I could go on and on! Stay strong... develop a plan for the entire family that you all follow exactly. ALWAYS be on the same page. This was the year I was strict about wrist only, for the entire family, discipline was done by all for Sophies biting. It took six months of hell.... but we all stuck together, and now more than a decade later, have a wonderful girl. Nancy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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