Like A Weed!!

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Hey All!

So, Thomas Patrick Phillips has been home with me for officially three weeks now. I was going to wait a month before getting too excited, but it seems I'm doing something right, as this little guy is growing like a weed! He's eating bugs like it's his job! He's even munching at salads (after sitting in them for a while, or course), especially if I wiggle the squash in front of him so he thinks it's worms... :lol:

Here he is the first night I brought him home, December 8th, at 24 grams... Already showing that mischievous personality, it seems... ("It's bed time, get that light out of my face, crazy lady!")
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(Working on a shed on his whole head and abdomen, poor thing)

And here he is last night, December 30th, at 50 grams!! (Now working on a shed for all his appendages, guy can't catch a break!)
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Haven't measured his length, but he's definitely gonna be a big'un. Might have to open up the rest of his tank soon!

And, just because, here's his 'come hither' look...
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"Helloooooo, Lady Lizards!"

Happy New Year, Everyone!!
 

SHBailey

Gray-bearded Member
You sound like me -- we got our beardie almost 4 years ago and I "lurked" on this site for at least that long before I finally signed on last fall. I read all the books I could find too. And I totally agree with you about the people around here and their willingness to help.

Our first reptile was a snake (he's 14 years old now), and my husband was expecting me to say the same thing about the bearded dragon that I said about the snake: "Squirmles didn't read the snake books, and Puff didn't read the bearded dragon books." :p But it was actually not quite as bad with the second reptile as it was with the first one -- we had learned from at least some of our mistakes.

I feel lucky that my husband is 4-F. He tried to go into the air force once but they wouldn't take him because of his asthma and other health problems. He practically worships the military and would love to be a hero like the rest of them, but I wouldn't have wanted to be married to someone who had to move around and/or be gone all the time. I want roots, not wings. :roll: So he currently works as a computer technician at an office within walking distance of our home and helps me with critter care evenings and weekends, and I'm cool with that. :D And whenever I apologize to him for not being able to do my fair share of the work, he reminds me that he would not have agreed to get the reptiles if he wasn't willing to help take care of them. Like I said, I'm lucky to have him, and the beardie and the snake. :love5:

I'll tell you the same thing about the calci-sand that some folks around here told me about the T8 UV tube on top of the screen -- don't feel bad, we all make mistakes, and we just do our best to fix them once we get better information and find out that wasn't such a good idea. :)
 

fuchsiaSkies

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
That's so funny, my snake is 14 years old now, too! He is a ball python and is called Nathan Scott Phillips, Thomas' "cousin". :D

Shame the military didn't work out, but it seems as though everything turned out fine in the end and you have yourself a happy little family! Geez, I'd love to be able to walk to work. Where I live is nothing but a gaping vortex of awful chain restaurants and people that seem to be okay with that. :evil: No real opportunities for a chef around there, I drive almost an hour to my restaurant every day.

The boyfriend was hesitant at first, not having had any experience with reptiles previously. I think I've got him converted, though. When I have to work, but he gets the day off, I get text updates all day with their adventures together and lots of silly pictures. (Who needs real kids, anyway? Just leave 'Dad' at home with the dragon!) I think he sets up the dragon 'studio' when I leave! (Especially with the shoes! :lol: )

If only they would all read their own books. Maybe do what they're supposed to do all the time and stop scaring the crap out of us... NOT! These dragons will always be our difficult, moody, mischievous, spiky little lumps of happiness. :lol:
 

SHBailey

Gray-bearded Member
I guess we're lucky to live in a pleasantly shabby little neighborhood in one of the older areas of "low density" housing still left in Anchorage, with grocery stores and other amenities just close enough to be convenient but just far enough away so that it still feels like home. But the city has run out of room to grow with the mountains to the east, ocean to the west, military bases to the north, and environmentally sensitive marshland to the south, so we're seeing more and more high rise apartments, office buildings, condos, etc. Little bitty single family houses like ours are getting harder and harder to find, and this one is older than I am, but at least still habitable so far.

It's kind of funny that my husband gets annoyed when the air force jets buzz the neighborhood. And he wanted to be in the air force? :shock: I really think that things worked out for the best.

More and more fast food restaurants around here too. My nephew is graduating from high school this year and wants to be a chef. The local university has a pretty good culinary arts program, but hopefully there will still be enough "real" restaurants left in Anchorage for him to work at by the time he graduates. So far, there are still a few.

This kind of reminds me of the time my husband walked into one of those fast food fried chicken places and tried to order a "whole chicken" and they looked at him like he was crazy, so then he started trying to explain: "you know -- two legs, two wings..." etc and they still looked at him like he was crazy. Eventually I had to explain that these weren't real chefs and they didn't know what he was talking about and he'd have to order something off the menu so they'd know which shelf to get the box from... :roll:

My husband and I were lucky that we never had any human children before I realized that I at least was getting too old and too disabled to be a parent anyway. The reptiles are more than enough to take care of. We got the bearded dragon just as I was dealing with menopause. It was my last chance to have another "baby". :wink: My husband has also had lots of fun playing bearded dragon photojournalist with his electronic cameras. We both love them both :love5: :love5: , but my husband is the only one that consistently has enough energy to take care of them when they need it. :oops:
 

fuchsiaSkies

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
Hi All!

Dad finally made me my own Instagram! Anyone wanna be my friend? Or any more of us on here with their own accounts? 8) I already found some other really cool dragons to hang out with! (The best part might actually be watching Dad try to show Mom how it works... :lol: )

Don't worry Mom, I got this one... :p

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https://www.instagram.com/tpphillips128/

-Thomas Patrick Phillips
 

Zombiepanda

Juvie Member
I've considered getting Maggie her own page!! But then I realize I'd have to socialize... meh. You guys are the extent of my social media... nay my socialization all together
 

fuchsiaSkies

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
Zombiepanda":jo3nmuiv said:
But hen I realize I'd have to socialize... meh. You guys are the extent of my social media... nay my socialization all together

Funny, that's almost exactly what Mom said!! :lol:
 

SHBailey

Gray-bearded Member
Yeah, me too. I don't get out much anymore, especially not in the winter here in Alaska -- it may be officially spring, but our temperatures are still below freezing and we still have a foot or two of snow all over everything -- "breakup" probably won't happen for another month or two.

Meanwhile, this website is most of my social life these days. I don't think my beardie has any idea how much he's responsible for keeping me company while my husband is at work. :wink:
 

fuchsiaSkies

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
Hi All!

I esploded... :(
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But after I rubbed my face on everything, including Mom and Dad, and scratched my head with my back leg like my cousin Kubley the dog (at which Mom laughed unnecessarily hard when I almost fell off my rock, J erk), I am now...

This happy!!:
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We sat outside in the wonderful sunshine for a few minutes, but the birds were freaking me out, so we came back inside for a snuggle.
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Then I found this sweet box filled with squishy candies from the Asian market, pretty comfy...
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Took a break and toasted on my rock for a while, working out my sexy leg...
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I guess I'm doing a good job growing, cuz Mom said I weighed 410 grams this morning! Got my April picture taken, soon I won't fit in her hand...
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Little bit different from just December, huh?
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Anyway, just stopped in to say hello! Have a great day, Everyone!

Here's my impression of a bump on a log... er, rock:
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-Thomas Patrick Phillips
 

SHBailey

Gray-bearded Member
Wow! He's humongous! :blob8: :blob5:

And if you have to shed your skin, you might as well do it with much enthusiasm, right? :mrgreen:
 

fuchsiaSkies

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
Oh yeah, he's my not-so-little fat boy! :love5:

Sometime I wonder if he might have a little German Giant in there somewhere. :lol: I don't really pay attention to his length, and he's got a little bit of a tail nip, but at 410 grams and 7 months, we're looking like a big'un!

I was trying to get a video of the dog-like scratching, but I was laughing too much when he started sliding off his rock, I dropped my phone... *sigh* Got a good stink eye outta that one. :p
 

fuchsiaSkies

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
Hey, guys!

I discovered what is called a 'shower'! It's my new favorite thing!!

So, I was hanging out with Dad, exploring my domain, and looking everywhere for Mom. Dad said she was in this shower thing. I could hear water noises, and went into the place where I get my baths when I am itchy. Dad opened this curtain thing a little bit to tell Mom I was looking for her, and I jumped right in! (It's not a 'tub', apparently, just a standing up 'shower' thing) She seemed concerned, but I though it was the best thing ever! I ran around, splashed in the puddles, did fake swimming on my belly. It was a blast! Then, since I was kind of in a bath, of course the urge came on, so I went right up to the holes where the water was going away and did a nice big poo. It washed right down and I didn't even have to run away from it like usual!! Mom said I was a good boy and I got a gummy worm after. So for the last three days, when I hear Mom turn the 'shower' on, I do the "Lemme Out" dance, and I get to play in the shower with her, and then I get a gummy worm!! What could be better??

Last time I jumped onto the hand towel thingy to dry myself off. :lol:
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Well, now that I toasted for a bit after my shower, I'm gonna find the best spot in the very middle of the bed and sprawl out for a nice nap. See ya later, guys!
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-Thomas Patrick Phillips
 

SHBailey

Gray-bearded Member
Too cute. He's color coordinated with the towel, too. Hope you were watching to make sure he didn't fall off, though. :shock:

Always nice when they deposit the poop someplace where you can just wash it down the drain. :)
 

fuchsiaSkies

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
Yeah, he climbed off my arm onto the towel, I was never more than 6 inches from him. Haha. I really did not think he would like the shower splashing on him, but he certainly seems to. :)
 

fuchsiaSkies

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
Hi All!

I'm the entire length of Mom's forearm now! If I snuggle my nose into the crook of her arm, my feet are on her palm...
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Muahahaha! Maybe one day I'll get big enough to eat that icky cat thing that lives next door... :twisted:

It makes for a nice place to cozy up when Mom thinks she's gonna do something besides pay attention to me... Like play PlayStation...Ppppfffssshhh :lol:
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Anyway, I'll be chilling in my hammock if anyone needs me! :D
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-Thomas Patrick Phillips
 
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i feel so sad reading your about me 😢
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