Matilda... Amy's New "baby" African Grey Parrot! She's Stolen our Hearts!

Hello Blogee's,

        This is little "Matilda" or "Tilly" for short. Also known as "Boo Boo", "Tilda", "Pooky", and "birdie"...amoung many other alias's LOL.. She was welcomed into our home in January 2011 by my youngest daughter, Amy, who is 22 yrs old. Amy is in graduate school to become a Librarian and is working part time as an assistant children's librarian. She is engaged to Scott, but no date set as of yet. She is doing so well in life but has a haunting lonliness about her and so I worry....every day. She is smart, beautiful, kind, thoughtful, loving, wonderful and everything you could ever want in a daughter or friend; and if you are lucky "both"...like me! She is my best friend in the world and the best daughter anyone could ever ask for.

    I will save talking more about Amy another day because today is my day for talking about "Matilda" ,right? Matilda is a very spunky little girl. She is an African Grey Parrot and she loves to "meow" like a cat!! When she's in a good mood she will grind her beak and sometimes she will honestly and truly "meow" just like a cat does! When she is "moody" we all know it because she will try to hang upside down from something and bite at the air, your clothing and your hair...but never has she ever "hurt" any of us. She's a lover not a fighter!

     I am the "grand-parrot" and let that be known that she does not belong to me, but to Amy and Amy alone! She plays' "batman" with Amy and sits on her lap, cuddles in a fleece blanket and likes to be sung to. Sometimes she likes to have her friend, a Goffins (sp?) Cockatoo (belonging to Amy's fiance',Scott) named "Corky" over to our house and they sit on their perspective "persons'" laps and keep watch. They keep watch as if they were "watch dogs" keeping their "person" safe! It's truly a very funny thing to watch.

    Now Matilda can be fierce and spunky when she wants to be and yet moody and subdued when she is in the "mood". She is playful and eats "people" food and even drinks water from a cup at times! She has molded herself right into our family and our hearts. When Amy moves out I will be sad to see Amy leave, but I know it is part of growing up and that the times together will never be far apart. As far as Matilda goes, I think I wll miss her too. I am her "watch-parent" during the day while Amy goes to work. I usually just leave her alone so she'll be used to being alone during the day and with people and/or Amy in the evenings. Sometimes I go in and check on her and if I hear something strange I may go in and see what she's up to. Today she was hanging upside down from the inside top of her cage and then took her beak and grabbed a piece of leather from her swing and swang on it just like "Tarzan" from the movie!!! She sat on her swing and just swang and swang and swang! She's very entertaining.
     At night time Amy usually will bring Matilda downstairs and let her sit on her "tree/play area" and she loves to sit downstairs with us. Other times she will snuggle on Amy's lap with a fleece blanket preening Amy's hair. She adores watching "American Idol"!!! When the people sing, so does Tilly!! LOL...She goes high pitched and screechy a bit and sometimes sounds very lovely!

    I must say that Matilda has given us many hours of entertainment , laughter and enjoyment. Even in the crabby early mornings with my pain and all, I never mind cutting her an apple or a pepper and giving her a sip of water from a cup! She has stolen all of our hearts and thank goodness that Parrots live for about 50-70 years, because she'll then be around for avery long time!!! I know I will miss her and Amy when they "fly the coop" or "leave the nest" *pun intended; but I know there is always "Skype" or the telly or visits that will come in the future.

    The little things in life are what are the most important. If someone or something can bring laughter to your life then it's worth every bit of the work. Oh...but wait....since I'm only the "grand-parrot" (or "Gammy" for short, according to Amy)...I can have all the fun and NONE OF THE WORK!! LOL...





Tilly in her Shower! LOL



 Amy and Matilda "snuggling"



Amy and her "baby, Matilda"!!