Kokomo's Diary

11/14/99

Brought home a Quaker. Origonally bought a green cheek conure, but his beak had been damaged by another bird at the pet store, and the bird was too shy to deal with my 2 cats. So.. I took him back and got my little green chicken. Don’t know what to name him yet. The lady at the store said he was very sweet, and that at one time he talked but she hadn’t heard him in a while. I hope he does, but I vow to love him no matter what.

11/15/99

Joined some Quaker mailing lists. Everyone talks about their birdy (QP) talking. I hope mine does. Shu Shu (my husband) and I can’t agree on a name. He wants to name him Moe, and I want to name him something unique, like Koko. We finally settled on Kokomo.

11/16/99

HE TALKED!!!!! He said "step up" just as I was picking him up!!!! I can’t believe it. I am so proud of my baby.

12/1/99

While in the shower with Kokomo this morning, he said "Gimme a kiss" then made the loudest, longest, cutest smacking noise I had ever heard. Adorable. Needless to say, he got his kiss (lots of them). He loves for me to preen the feathers on his head. I am amazed at how sweet he can be. Shu shu is getting more attached to him.

12/4/99

Kokomo now goes through his repitoire daily. He laughs (my laugh, exactly) he says Hi, baby. He also talks to the cats, that is funny. He meows like Mary Kate (my maine coon cat) which is funny but my husband has never heard. Healso cusses. He says "damn it" whenever ShuShu is getting on my nerves ( how does he know what I am thinking?). When he is done with his shower, or preening, or anything else, he says "stop it". that is so cute. He has this little munchkin voice that makes me want to kiss him everytime he says anything. I am trying to teach him to say "Hi, mom" but no luck so far.

12/9/99

Today I moved his cage around. I have him sitting by my desk with a perch going from desk to cage so he can come "visit" me when he wants to. He also has a view of the Kitchen. While I was fixing lunch, Mary Kat (maine coon cat) came to his cage and put her paws on the skirt, to stretch (being sneaky). Kokomo squeaked, and then said "hi". This is a special hi, which is drawn out, and he uses it only for the cats. So when I hear it, I know one of the cats is trying to "get him"

I promptly turned around and said "Mary Kate" very sternly, at the same time grabbing my squirt bottle (which I keep nearby just for this purpose).
As soon as Kokomo saw me turn around and call the cats name, he said "Uh, Oh" as clear as day. When i grabbed the Squirt bottle, he then said "Bye-Bye" to the cat, who promptly ran out of the room. Kokomo chuckled, then went back to "work".

I say "uh, oh" whenever he drops something. then I pick it back up and put it back on (or in ) his cage. I had no idea he knew the meaning of this word ( or knew how to use it so well, for that matter)

he has also started to grumble longer sentences. I am not sure what he is saying, but I am sure he will keep practicing until he gets it....

12/11/99

Shu Shu has 12/24 off, so we are going to head to Kokomo to see Mom and them on Thursday 12/23. I am taking Kokomo, although I have no idea how I am going to accomplish this. Kokomo loves his "desk bridge" Just now I was eating breakfast (beans and rice) and I had put some in Kokomo’s bowl for him to eat also, which he did, until I sat down at the desk to read my emails. Then he climbed to the desk and began eating from my plate. All of a sudden he walks across my plate, and then around the desk, tracking "birdy prints" ALL OVER MY DESK. I was laughing too hard to get mad. But I do have rice all over everything, thanks to a certain bird I know.

ShuShu has starting talking to Kokomo in Kokomo’s language. They go back and forth until Kokomo says "HI" then they both laugh. It is so funny. He has also started saying (practicing) "take a bath" when he is in the bathroom and I put him on the towel bar to take my own shower. It is not really clear yet, but I am hoping.

12/13/99

I just had to share...

This morning my hubby and I got up late, so we didn't give Kokomo his shower
with us, as a matter of fact, we were in such a hurry.

Then disaster struck, my youngest cat somehow managed to get into the one
part of the closet that I thought he would never get into, and got a FISH
HOOK stuck in his mouth.
My hubby fell apart, so I grabbed Alex (my kitty's name) threw Kokomo into
his cage, told him I would be back (Kokomo was frantic with worry about his
"friend"). I found a man walking his dog in the apartment complex and
begged him for wire cutters to get out the hook. He came with cutters
designed to cut fishhooks (wow, someone already thought of that).
Well needless to say the men cowered, so mommy saved the day. We got out
the hook. I took hubby to work and came home.

A few hours later I started to clean Kokomo's bowls, give him fresh water
and food. As I placed one of his water dishes on top of his playstand... he
started grabbing it and shaking it. He was mumbling under his breath and I
couldn't make it out. So I turned the kitchen sink on, and then he started
screaming. I looked at him and said "What do you want?" Then I realized
what he was doing. He was trying to jump in his water dish (which was not
going to happen) and saying "Take a bath...damnit" over and over.

I was laughing so hard I fell on the floor. Kokomo looked at me and said
"damnit"

Needless to say I filled the kitchen sink with a few inches cold water and
he dove in.
Afterwards he said "thank you" and took a nap...

12/14/99

Last night my shu shu and I were arguing. It started out as a disagreement and ended up in an all-out "I’m right and your wrong" yelling match. I became so involved in the fight that I forgot about Kokomo. At least, until he shouted "stop it, damn it" (he loves that word, boy does it get my attention) At this point we both stopped shouting (how could you not ignore an idignant little green monster shouting orders?) and put our coats on to go outside. Kokomo said "thank you...bye bye"

When we came back inside, we went to all of the animals and gave them kisses and told them we loved them. I gave Kokomo extra kisses. He said to me... VERY QUIETLY "hi, i love you"

Wow, what a bird.

Guess who "wears the pants in this family???"

Kokomo has decided there are monsters in this house and he is determined to get rid of them. You see, there is a monster that frequently lurks around his cage and the rest of the house. It makes this loud noise and sucks up everything in its path. I have repeatedly tried to explain to him that I control this monster, and I have named it "vacuum" but he is having none of that.

Nor is he going to put up with the monster in the sink. Nooooo, Mr. "garbage disposal" has got to go. There can only be one monster in this house and that is Kokomo.

Here is the best part... You know that old saying.."You can kill more bees with honey than with vinegar?" Well Kokomo has taken this to heart. He is determined to catch and kill all of the monsters (including those "bad ol puddy tats!). Whenever any of the bad monsters rears its head, Kokomo lays his trap...

" Hi, baby!! Come here, give me a kiss. *smack*, *Smack*...*SMACK* Hi! Good boy! Hi baby!!! give me a kiss!!!! Step up... Step up STEP UP... good boy..."

One of these days you are going to actually CATCH a monster, then what will you do? I ask him He responds with a laugh.

As I finished doing the dishes and wiping down the counter... I look at Kokomo’s cage. He is on top, with his chin resting on the edge of the cage, staring forlornly at the sink monster.

He’s so brave, I am so proud of my little green monster.

12/15/99

Last night I was sitting at the computer, and Kokomo's cage is right beside me. My husband walked in and was standing right in front of Kokomo's cage, but far enough away that Kokomo could not get to him. Well he finally noticed Kokomo in "fantasy flight" trying to get to him. It looked as if he were trying to move the cage closer to him (you know when you are on a chair with wheels and trying to move it, how you lunge?)

Hubby walked up to Kokomo and put his finger out to scratch Kokomo's head. Kokomo, however, had other ideas... He expressed his displeasure at his "daddy" ignoring him in the only proper QP way. He bit his finger. My husband cried out in pain (some men are such babies about pain, lol. Me too). Kokomo laughed the most evil laugh (and hilarious laugh I might add) I have never heard this laugh. Then he set his shoulders and walked away from hubby, thus ignoring HIM. My fault in all of this? Well I laughed so hard that I actually fell off of the chair. (aka ROFLMBO). This, of course pretty much guaranteed that he will do it again, and I apologized to my husband for laughing. Then Kokomo starting laughing some more, and we all cracked up. Oh boy. You reckon he learned his lesson?

12/16/99

Oh my goodness... Kokomo is so funny.

Last night I was recovering (still am) from having 4 teeth pulled. Me and my hubby were on the couch, and Kokomo was using us for his own personal playgym. We would hide nutriberries and he would find them, then scatter the pieces everywhere. Well, he was having so much more fun on my hubby than on me. At one point, he ran down to his leg, jumped on me, turned around, stuck out his butt,and pooped on the carpet. He then hopped right back onto hubby (is that all I'm good for?). Then he runs up to hubby's face (ever seen a QP run? too funny) He says "Hi, give me a kiss." Then *smack*. Then he attempts to regurgitate onto hubby. Then he does something I have never seen before. He HIKES UP ONE LEG ONTO HUBBY'S CHEEK and does something that belongs on a porno.

Then comes the kicker. Hubby asks me "Why is he doing this?" So I get to explain. I simply told him, "Well. He(she?) has decided that you are his (her) mate and he wants sex, but first he wants to take you out for dinner." As soon as he figured out what I was saying we all laughed... then I explained the reasons behind it, and we discussed the importance of him doing step up practice ( I already do it.) He tried it, and as soon as Kokomo had done a few dozen step ups, Hubby put him down and he was So CALM... No more... well, lets just say he was calm. I guess hubby learned after all, the hard way. The interesting thing is that when Kokomo was on me, he tried to regurgitate onto me as well. But no hanky panky... (thank God) I guess so far he is pretty equal in his bonding between us. I have not laughed so hard in a long time, and with my sore mouth, that was the wrong time to laugh. We are looking forward to getting a brother (or sister) over the Christmas Holidays. We are taking him to Kokomo, Indiana with us to see my family for Christmas. (We're not going to His parents house, Egypt is too far to drive, lol) We will be picking up Peabody while we're there. I will keep everybody informed of what is happening...

12/19/99

Oh, my. Well we are getting ready to drive to Kokomo, Indiana to be with my family for the Holidays. Kokomo is coming with us because I refuse to leave him alone for 3 days. NO WAY. I am so curious as to how he will be when we get there.  Kokomo is a rotten as ever. Now, when I ask him "wanna take a bath? " He sings "WET BIRD!!" too funny. He grumbles at things, too. He likes to stick his head in his food dish and talk, then he laughs. She will stand really tall with her head way up, then she will get really low, with her head really low. She goes back and forth really fast. She, oh, btw, my hubby has decided that Kokomo is a she, because everytime she sits on him she runs up to his face, turns around, backs into his chin, and sits there. When he doesn't do what is "required" of him she turns back around and starts that grumbling. She says "Gimme some" when she wants to eat what I am eating, and she says "Come 'ere...drink some" when she wants to drink. She loves iced tea, I had to switch to decaffienated tea for this bird. (The things we do) Yesterday I was talking to my mom,and Kokomo started Laughing. My mom stopped in mid sentence and said :is that laughing coming from that bird?" I said yes, she paused then she said "She sounds like YOU!" I said "Thank you, mom" lol. She is right this moment sticking her head in her food bowl and cracking up laughing. You know that laugh that you do when you have to breathe, and it comes out sounding like a fog horn? When you are laughing so hard that tears are streaming down your face and you feel like you are going to throw up? Thats what she is doing, inside her food bowl, it echoes I guess. She has gotten afraid of the cats, and I have started dragging her cage into the bedroom right beside myside of the bed. this way, if I hear a cat messing with her, I can "get that bad ol' puddy tat". I am a light sleeper.

Today in the shower, she was sticking her toungue in the stream of water and then going "oowwww." Then she would do it again. I started laughing, and she started laughing. I said "You're so silly" then she replied "SILLYYY!" You know that Quaker noise they make? kind of like a gravelly "EEWW", well my hubby and I imitate her when she does this. Now she imitates us imitating her!!! Is there no end?? Now, she says "Gimme Kiss" and when I go to give her a kiss she says "Stop it!!" Then she laughs!!! (Definitely a female!!) Anytime I get on the phone, she does too. She starts chattering away, sometimes I can actually understand what she is saying. She watches me, and when I get mad, she gets mad and bobs her head ans attacks the cage and all the time chattering. If I smile, she'll start laughing, which always gets me going. She does this the whole time I am on the phone, and of course I have to tell whoever I am talking to that that "noise" is my bird... Sometimes I don't tell the anyting, I just leave them thinking I am nuts. When I hang up she says "BYE BYE" I have a Show & Telephone, and with this phone I can record a messege that I hear whenever somebody calls me. For instance, when my hubby calls, I hear my voice saying "shu shu shu shu, shu...SHU! shu shu shu shu, shu...SHU!" Well, just now, when my hubby called me I heard the phone say that and Kokomo starts dancing and saying shu shu shu.... Its only a matter of time before she has that down pat. What a riot!!

12/20/99

Well, well, well... Here we are again. We are sitting here eating

lunch. I am addicted to peanut butter and marshmallow creme

sandwiches. I make two sandwiches, and then break one in half. I then

take this half and break it into little pieces and place them into

Kokomo's treat bowl. She then proceeds to dive into this. I am

convinced that she loves them as much as I do. The only problem is

that she is not nearly as neat as myself. (speak for yourself, mom).

She ends up with peanut butter and marshmallow creme all over her beak.

I will say "Is that good, Kokomo" and she will look up at me and say

"what?" and dive back into the sandwich. Too funny. Then of course

when she is done she just has to wash her beak, which means that stuff

gets all over the perch, bowl, and anything else. "doing the dishes

after lunch" has taken on a brand new meaning... It's even funnier when

she get hold of a tissue and it sticks to her beak!!! Boy, I hope that

digital camera gets here soon!!!!!

Safiyah & Kokomo (a little help here, mom?? do you mind? GET THIS TISSUE

OFF OF ME!!!!!!)

12/21/99

I have found the perfect Quaker Playground!!! Its cheap, machine

washable, and guaranteed to work!!! Kokomo is living proof of this. As

I sit here typing, Kokomo is playing on it now!!!

What is this miracle playground, you ask?

Well, it is a colorful, cotton, button down polo shirt!! (of my

husbands, no less) Kokomo will spend hours playing with the designs,

buttons, collar, and just "hanging around" It is so funny to see him

hanging off the front of my shirt...lol sometimes I take a leather

string, tie a few toys onto it and drape it aroung my shoulders,

sometimes I tuck tissues here and there for him to "discover and steal"

but so far nothing I have tried has given Kokomo more pleasure than

whatever shirt I am wearing....

Anyone else have one of these miracle playgrounds??? If not, then

HURRY, GET YOURS TODAY!!! ( no, I am not selling anything)

Safiyah & Kokomo (

I......gotta.........get..........this..........................darn...........BUTTON!

GIMME GIMME GIMME)

12/23/99

I am almost laughing too hard to type, but here goes...
Remember I told you about the swing perch I put in the shower? Well I was going to get ready to pick up my hubby from work ( you know, do my face, etc...) and I decided to take Kokomo with me.
I put her on my hand, and started to walk to the bathroom...

Well, I tripped a little, and Kokomo was startled, and almost fell off my finger. Her response? A very well stated
"Oh My God!"

Life would be so boring without her...

12/28/99

Wondering if the "take a bath dammit" was a one time thing? Nope...

Yes.... He still does it at times...My hubby will go into the shower to

get ready for work, and since he is usually in a great hurry, he will not

take Kokomo. Usually I am sitting by the computer with Kokomo in her cage,

and she will start with

daaaaad daaaadd!!!!! *pause* (louder) Daaad Daad!!!! then screaming

DDAAAADDD!! then back to mumbling Take a bath..... then screaming

DAMNIT!

I don't know what comes next, because by this time I have picked up Kokomo,

who then sweetly says "thank you" ( I have no idea where she learned

this...)

and I quite unceremoniously place her on the shower swing...

She looks at hubby sweetly and says "hi" in that adorable chipmunk voice

and he laughs and says "hi" right back.

THEN.... I get my peace and quiet, that is, except for the singing,

laughing, squawking, smooching sounds I get from the shower....

Someday I am going to videotape this.. Nobody in my family believes this..

Safiyah & Kokomo (Gosh, mom... You'd think he'd learn to take me in there

to start with. Not too bright, is he?)

12/29/99

Oh my, I am laughing so hard.

I am reading my email, and Kokomo is on her favorit playgym (which in

laymans terms means... ME) I was sitting with only ankle resting on the

other knee, and noticed Kokomo climbing down my nightgown. Then she

started scratching my ankle and my foot with her beak. Kinda like

chickens do when they eat??

I looked down and realized that she was trying to get to the "worms" on

my feet and ankle (veins..) She would not give up. She did not bite

me, though.

Another thing I have noticed. Sometimes Kokomo would rather stay on my

hand than my shoulder. If I am busy and she wants me to pay attention

to her, I will usually put her on my shoulder and talk to her while I am

working. But lately she will not go to my shoulder. She just stays on

my hand... I am not sure if this is good or bad. It is cute, though.

12/30/99

Kokomo has been saying a new word, but I have been unable to decipher it until now... I had just finished talking with mu hubby on the phone, and decided to take a shower with Kokomo. I asked her if she wanted to take a bath and she responded with this new word. I took her into the shower and put her on her perch and asked her again. She said that word again, much clearer... It was "right now!!"

Guess I got my answer after all...

I got the cutest pic of Kokomo right before she goes potty... Then today, while I was

playing with her, I asked her if she had to go potty, and I placed her on her cage to go. I

told her "Go potty!" and she responded "Potty" then did it!!!! I'm so proud of her!!!!