.

November 26, 2008

Leap of Faith

I'm using this picture to demonstrate something. This is from probably close to a year ago, maybe a little less than that. The girls are not the subject I'm demonstrating here. Its the distance between the seats in our truck.


Paris was timid and took a few months before she'd jump from Malcolm to my across the "great divide." Carlie Jean, bless her simple heart, was almost a year old before she'd do it, and she still has to rock back and forth a few times before she takes the plunge.

Ella on the other hand....NINE WEEKS OLD! Yep, she made an unexpected leap of faith yesterday. Neither of us were expecting it and so its a good thing she made it across and landed on all fours, cause she could have tumbled to the floor. Since that moment, she has leaped the chasm several times. So now we have to keep an eye on her because she doesn't hesitate, and also doesn't always quite make it. Carlie is in AWE of her bravery!

Ella now has a couple of nick-names. Malcolm refers to her as the "black baldy," because she looks like a black baldy calf (though she has some spots coming in on her face that will remedy that.) He also calls her "flea" which is kind of cute. But more often he calls her "the demon," in loving tones of course. And I have to admit she often lives up to that name, though she is extremly loving and sweet too. She has more spunk and confidence than either of the other two..of whom Paris hid under the kitchen table for teh first week, and Carlie Jean to this day waits for permission to jump on the bed before she'll do so.

My name for Ella I created yesterday....Ella Minnow P. Ok, don't laugh but it comes from the abc song. You know....A, B, C, D, E, F, G. H, I, J, K, elliminnowpee. I don't know how old I was when I figured out that those were letters and not a word in the song. Anyway, Ella Minnow has to P frequently, so....you get the idea. Speaking of...she just left a little puddle. Excuse me a moment...


Ok, I'm back.

We're in Yuma, AZ and our last appointment is at 4:00am, not that we'll be loaded by then. So obviously we WON'T be getting home in time to have Thanksgiving. In fact we may very well be having Subway, since thats about the only option there is on I-15. But thats OK, cause it makes it a less guilt ridden, though brief, break next time we're home. We've been on produce since we went back to work after our last break. The cattle shipping has come to a screeching halt for some reason, maybe the holiday. But Steve put us on produce, which is fine. Its a little less action, but we get some rest while we wait at various shippers and it changes things up a little which is always nice.

As you can see in a couple of the picutres, Miss Ella Minnow has her ears up already though I still keep her taped because her ears don't stay up. They'll droop after almost a full day of untaped. She threw off her tape, again, a little eariler so I snapped a few pictures before I retape them! I've learned that its easier if I wait for her to get tired and fall asleep. She doesnt' fight as much. She's getting close to that point as we speak.

She's tired now becuase she had a traumatizing experience earlier when we locked her in the kennel while we went in to eat. She gets EXTREMLY insulted when that happens and frankly who can blame her since she's the only one being put in solitary confinement. I guess thats the big girls one consolation to having a baby sister. Ella has to go in the kennel so they get to stay free roaming in the truck. And they have adjusted to her finally. Even Carlie Jean enjoys rough housing around with her.

Ella's a rather violent girl when it comes to playing....right up Jean's alley. Even Paris gets in on the action sometimes.

We were home Monday for a few hours and I have her a haircut.....holy moly.....I'm not sure who was more tired when we were done, her or me! She sure put up a fight though, and I had waited for her to exhuast herself running around. It was quite a bit different from doing a quick buzz over Carlie and Paris's faces and a spot or two on teh back. Ella was covered in 1/4 inch long fuzz, the results of a weeks worth of hair growing. She's already fuzzy again. I'll have to take a before and after picture for you next time I shave her...which will be soon cause she's alreay got that five o'clock shadow so to speak.

Hope you all have a great Thanksgiving. The demon starting to stir so I'd better get to work on those ears.

No comments: