Questions questions questions

Elmo was quite happy playing Legos with the grandchildren and begging grapes.

But after they left he became a question machine. “Whatcha doing”  “Can I have a kiss”  “Is Elmo a good boy”  “What’s Baby doin”  “Can you come over here”  “Can I go bye bye”  “What’s that”  for several days now.  I tend to answer him most of the time.  It seems when I read or use the computer, clean up etc I hear him in the background and answer.

I don’t watch TV often but I was really enjoying a good movie when all of a sudden I heard “Michelle”  “MICHelle”  “MICHELLE”.  I guess he figured he wasn’t going to get my attention any way but to shout my name.  It worked of course.  I turned off the TV and made over him. Telling him what a good boy he is and how happy I was he said my name.  Yes he owns me!

Elmo and his phone calls

This guy continues to amaze me!  He almost always has his own “phone conversations” when I talk on the phone and sometimes he just “dials” up a number making beeping button sounds and has a conversation.  So that is expected.

What happened yesterday shocked me.  It was a lazy Sunday and I was reading.  I frequently fall asleep when reading and since I had a meeting I wanted attend in the evening I set the alarm on my phone.  I awoke to the phone ringing and Elmo saying “Hello” as usual but then he said ” uh I just slept for a while. ”  Then mumbled some other stuff I couldn’t understand before saying “ok bye” and making the sound for hanging up.  No idea if he slept while I did and woke up to the phone also, but having his “phone conversation” be so in context was incredible to me.

I’ve been working on making sure Elmo knows my name because he doesn’t get a chance to hear it often.  Today was cage cleaning day.  While I was running the sweeper and moving things around he said “Gram just stop”  ” Gram quit it”.  I suppose he does hear me called Gram more than anything else.  Maybe some day he will learn my name.  I can hope!

Elmo loves his new toy!

My grandson picked out a toy for Elmo at the store today.  We told Elmo he got it for him and hung it on his play stand.  I asked Elmo if he liked it.  He said “I love it” and then gave the toy a kiss!  My grandson was beaming.

Elmo has learned the turn around trick

This guy is amazing to me.  The easiest way to get him to understand a new trick is to find videos of other birds doing it on you tube.  We then watch the videos together.  That’s the method I used for wave, shake hands, and now turn around.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8QJOLzWqXU&feature=share&list=UU-kT_op_U4ZpotpifDOZeIA

Elmo the Acro-Bat

 

http://youtu.be/y0zr0N_e1Xw

Elmo is meeting lots of new people

Elmo went visiting on Wednesday and we had company at the house today.  He is getting used to seeing new people.  He won’t talk but he did some of his tricks at the house today for company.  He did whisper a few things but even I couldn’t make it out.

Here he is “helping” with the computer.

Elmo’s “Tricks”

Elmo loves to “work” at his tricks.

http://youtu.be/cv06vT00GiQ

 

Playing Legos

The fun for Elmo is tearing apart whatever is built!

This is what Elmo thinks about trying out his harness

Trick training is going great

Elmo’s “work” perch is by his play stand but he can’t get to it on his own.  He’ll go and stand on the play stand bar closest to it and say “come over here” “let’s go” “ready”.  To let me know he wants to work on his tricks.  He usually does it two to three times a day.  We have “eagle boy” and wave down and are now working on shaking hands (or feet as the case may be). Letting him decide when he’s ready to work means he’s really motivated because he has asked to train.