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amalthyaSaturday 8:31 am
I spent the whole morning just bonding with the kids, specifically Etaito, because I want to figure out what makes him tick, so that I can interact with him better and give him better enrichment.
And it's been going really, really well. I'm feeling more and more motherly as each day passes. It's definitely reflecting in my interactions too. Even Okeysha comes to me for reassurance, and wants to play, and I am really trying to take advantage of the hours in the day here.
It's so funny, because Etaito is very possessive of me when we're spanning time in the mornings. If any other chimp comes over, he gets up, running, smacking them, and then comes back and curls in my lap. When he's happy, he makes this hilarious grin, wrapping his upper lip around his upper teeth and smiling in a look I can only equate to Mason Verger in Hannibal. But it's really fun -- and being close to his face, and being unafraid, and just seeing him being happy is incredible.
I've been trying a lot not to rely on the caregivers. Etaito is hardly biting me these past three days, and I even let him put my fingers in his mouth and chew lightly, because I'm learning to trust him more. When he bit me harder (he was jealous that I was playing with Kanabiro) I yelled at him, loudly, and he ran away. No retaliation, just obeying.
Despite whatever building, etc that I'll be doing, I want to spend at least 3-4 hours dedicatedly with the kids each day. And I'm not going to demonize Etaito further than in jest, because he's a great little guy.
And I will attempt not to wear elastic-waisted pants. I wore my monkey pajamas this morning when the kids woke up, and I ended up with three chimps, INSIDE my pajamas. The monkey pajamas have looked better... hehe.
I spent the whole morning just bonding with the kids, specifically Etaito, because I want to figure out what makes him tick, so that I can interact with him better and give him better enrichment.
And it's been going really, really well. I'm feeling more and more motherly as each day passes. It's definitely reflecting in my interactions too. Even Okeysha comes to me for reassurance, and wants to play, and I am really trying to take advantage of the hours in the day here.
It's so funny, because Etaito is very possessive of me when we're spanning time in the mornings. If any other chimp comes over, he gets up, running, smacking them, and then comes back and curls in my lap. When he's happy, he makes this hilarious grin, wrapping his upper lip around his upper teeth and smiling in a look I can only equate to Mason Verger in Hannibal. But it's really fun -- and being close to his face, and being unafraid, and just seeing him being happy is incredible.
I've been trying a lot not to rely on the caregivers. Etaito is hardly biting me these past three days, and I even let him put my fingers in his mouth and chew lightly, because I'm learning to trust him more. When he bit me harder (he was jealous that I was playing with Kanabiro) I yelled at him, loudly, and he ran away. No retaliation, just obeying.
Despite whatever building, etc that I'll be doing, I want to spend at least 3-4 hours dedicatedly with the kids each day. And I'm not going to demonize Etaito further than in jest, because he's a great little guy.
And I will attempt not to wear elastic-waisted pants. I wore my monkey pajamas this morning when the kids woke up, and I ended up with three chimps, INSIDE my pajamas. The monkey pajamas have looked better... hehe.
