Someone's Been in the Bathroom

Mister John asked Miss Jill if either she or Chip have been playing with the toilet paper and she said No. He's not quite sure but it might be Mary Jane.

Keep the Carrot Away from Chip

Mary Jane has a new game which is called "Keep the Carrot Away from Chip." It's not necessarily a fun game for Chip who gets hungry and would like a tasty carrot. Alas, Mary Jane also will chew on the carrot as well and their interactions can be quite comical. One of these days we'll get a video of them playing an incessant game of cat and mouse... or in this case... baby girl and rabbit.

The Battle of the Carrot: Mary Jane v. Chip

The mornings provide the most entertainment in regards to Chip/Mary Jane interaction. Chip is wont to sit in the "tropical island" in the living room that has lots of flashing lights on the top of it. Of course if he accidentally bumps the side, any number of children's songs will play. But nevermind that, he loves resting on it. Meanwhile that little bit of heaven is Mary Jane's focal point in the living room. Every time she fashions a long crawling trek, she starts from that location. The cushiony bottom does hinder her scooting/crawling ability but as she as she gets to the wood floor... zoom!

So this morning was a little different as Mary Jane somehow made it into the kitchen. Methinks Miss Jill (aka Mommy) air-dropped MJ into the kitchen but let's not probe too deeply into such metaphysical musings. Anyway, MJ and Chip were both in the kitchen and Miss Jill fed Chip a carrot. Oh, good ol' Chip needs his almost daily carrot (if he had carrots too often, he'd get an orange chip and orange bottom but let's not go there). As the picture on the left shows, Chip is trying to eat his carrot calmly without any territorial griping from Cherry Bugg (his aunt and ultimate nemesis) when Mary Jane appears.

Now Mary Jane and Chip get along quite well. Let's not recall that mini head-slap she gave Chip a few days back. He's still dutifully fond of her and sleeps beside her crib every night (in a real coincidental bit of timing, Daddy just tripped over Chip as he went to check out why MJ let out a few mild cries). But when it comes to carrots... or at least shiny orange things, MJ is just as intrigued as that intrepid boy rabbit who wishes he were a man. Or at least an adult rabbit.

Mary Jane sees the carrot and then grabs it away from the bewildered Chip. How dare she do such a thing, he must wonder. Naturally MJ tries to a bite of it herself but with only two teeth... only a long gumming ensues. Chip is still aghast and wishes to complain to the management. Poor Chip, this final photo shows Mary Jane holding the carrot hostage with her right hand and Chip with no alternative but to hop away and beg for a carrot some other day. Oh, some day, little Chip, you too can become an adult rabbit. But not when little 7 month old girls can take carrots from you. It's not like taking candy from a baby but rather like a baby taking candy from a rabbit.

Misunderstood Woman in Rabbit History

For some reason the rabbits thought that Mary Jane Erb, the original and not the little girl in the house currently, was the original conspirator against the rabbits of Mar Vista. This was untrue but certain rabbits like Easter, Carmel, Herbie, Pete, and Shirley all thought she never delivered food to them with an adequate smile. Now look at that smile, rabbits, isn't that a classic bunny feeding smile?

Meanwhile Chip is getting a bit afraid of the Mary Jane on the right. She pulled/crawled her way to him this morning and as he looked up, she excitedly swatted him on the nose. He felt confused and then hopped away. But how can bunnies not like a happy smiling Mary Jane? Then again they seem to have it out for Miss Jill as well.

The psychoanalytic rabbits out there would say that Mister John married someone who was just like his mother. Too bad, he loves them both.

Another Week with Daddy

Some day Mary Jane will say, "Daddy, you have never spent a summer with me." Au contraire! Her first summer will be with me. She gets some nap time (30 minutes is pretty much her average, sigh) and plenty of floor time with me. She crawled up to eight feet to get to me today. OK, it was a partial crawl, partial pull the body.

Chip did come by and say Hello as well. He really does care for Mary Jane's well being. Not that the other bunnies don't but he spends a lot more time around her and making sure that she keeps an eye on him.

Family Visit for MJ and the Bunnies

Mary Jane was visited by Aunt Pat, Uncle Brent, Grampa, and her cousins Garrett and Trevor this evening. Nothing quite like the giggling bundle of energy that Mary Jane has become. She is soooo close to crawling. Right now it's more of a slow scoot followed by fits and starts to get in a particular direction. She's also close to sitting up by herself but she still needs a bit of help as the picture on the right can attest. Not to worry, Mary Jane will be quite strong soon enough to do all the sitting up and crawling that she needs. Of course that means that Mommy and Daddy will have to be on major alert for all of that.

The bunnies were also visited as Chip was quickly collected in the back yard and brought in for pictures. Garrett is holding Chip while Daddy (aka Mister John) holds Mary Jane. She was a tad bit grumpy but after the whole family took a walk around the block -- people must have thought we were a religious group -- Mary Jane calmed down a bit and was her typically cheery self. While MJ has seen Aunt Pat many times, it has been a while and that precious little girl is quite leery of anyone other than Mommy, Daddy, or the nanny Maggie from holding her.

Later on the family celebrated the evening with Tito's Tacos. Later on Garrett and Trevor fought over the hammock. Quite a typical occurrence as they seem to fight over everything. Alas, neither of them did their share in rounding up the rabbits this evening. Cherry Bugg was not amused by them. Then again not much amuses Cherry Bugg so that will be left alone.

Finally, Daddy aka Mister John had a picture taken with his father. It was a good head shot of the two of them and thus makes the blog post. Mary Jane fell asleep by 7pm and it's onto the next day.

Rabbits Thump at Fireworks

More info later but bunnies, like dogs, cannot stand all this idiotic popping.

Computer Still Great, Chip Ever Unsure

As soon as we put the pictures onto this computer, I can show you the confused little man/bunny. For now I'll leave him in the cage so he can adjust.

Meanwhile Cherry Bugg was out all by herself today in the backyard. She hopped around like she owned the place. Well, she is the longest tenured female in the back yard.

The hammock has also thrown the bunnies for a loss. Like I said previously about Chip, change is something they don't handle well.

New Computer, Chip Unsure

Mister John installed a new computer this afternoon but now Chip is all confused. He liked the last computer because it made such an infernally loud drone that it put him to sleep. Now what will happen!

The Never-Ending Dilemma of Chip

Poor Chip. Every since he came to Chez Erb over two years ago, he has been trying to find a way to fit in with everyone. Phillip, the elder statesman of the rabbits, chases him away even when Chip tries to say Hi. Cherry Bugg is his closest friend but she more tolerates him than anything else. They can exist in the same back yard or even the same room but she commands the territory and then he must run away. Even his sisters, Ruby Jane and Root Beer Float, don't command him the respect he desires. Root Beer Float, who used to be at the bottom of the rabbit pecking order, found a new rabbit to antagonize in the oft-innocent Chip. So she would chase him all around the back yard to remind him of that. Ruby Jane is much more understanding of him but she still doesn't talk to Chip when the other rabbits are around. It just isn't cool. And that's the problem with Chip. He's the rabbit who thinks he's a man but is really a boy. And he's just not that cool according to the other rabbits.

Oddly enough, Chip would remind the well-read person of the narrator in James Joyce's short story "Araby." The narrator reminisces about his youth and this girl he thought he loved. He once thought he was a man but realized at the very end of the story that he truly was still a child. Oh, what a slap that epiphany was for that Irish lad and how it must feel for Chip as well.

Chip does serve one important purpose in the Erb family though that the other rabbits do not: he is Mary Jane's body guard. When she cries, Chip will come hopping in to see what's the matter. And in the middle of the night, he sneaks into Mary Jane's room and will sit about two feet away from her crib and keep watch. It's great for Mary Jane to have a guardian because he will chase away all the bad monsters. She can sleep more easily at night with that valiant duty of his. Never mind that sometimes she awakens in the night and Mister John or Miss Jill accidentally kick him as they stagger through the darkness to get to Mary Jane's crib.

For his service to Mary Jane, that might make Chip a real man. Just don't tell the other rabbits that; they might get jealous.

At Home with Daddy Today

Mary Jane feels like rolling over plenty this morning while Daddy watches. Meanwhile Chip is hopping over to say Hi to the both of them. Stay out of the purple room, Chip. That's for Mommy's family this weekend.

Parole... for Now

Chip is free for the time being until Miss Jill, Mister John, and Mary Jane head off to Arizona. Then back into the cage for him. Poor helpless boy who thinks he is a man.

Spring Is Here

So is the rain.

Root Beer Float and Ruby Jane had to spend the night indoors due to the heavy rain blowing into their cage. Alas, poor Chip was moved to the bedroom where he felt demoted. I guess he was... but all for the greater good of rabbits. They're now back outside and Chip is back in his cage. He thumped. Good timing.

So there's your first day of spring.

100 Days!!!

Yes, over 100 days ago our little precious Mary Jane was born and became our dear child. I can't believe it's only been 100 days but she's grown so much and now she's THIS close to giggling. Oh, such the precious gem.

Alas, poor Chip, he has been reacting like a child. He's been going potty where he shouldn't be. And he thinks he's a man but he keeps acting like a child. Someone's getting locked up at nights now, boy.

As for our dear Mary Jane, we had pictures taken of her today at Sears so we will get those soon enough.

Saturday in the Park... I Think It Was Airport Park...

Mommy and Daddy took their precious Mary Jane over to the Airport Park this afternoon. MJ was quite complacent as she smiled, cooed, and slept for a quaint 90 minutes. The occasional airplanes took off nearby (as they still do) and the avid soccer players ran about on the synthetic turf next to us.

After a long wait, we got our chance at using the swing. Nothing quite throws a person back to their past more than a swing. Alas, Daddy's legs are too long for actual long-arc swinging but at least he looked comfortable enough for this picture here.

Unfortunately for Mary Jane, she was awakened around 2am when Chip and Cherry Bugg decided to fight under her crib. Mister John was quite unhappy at this zoning mis-regulation (no fighting in the nursery, everyone knows that) and Cherry Bugg was summarily put in her outdoor cage. Chip was locked up but the surprised MJ was inconsolable for another 45 minutes. Poor little girl.

She'll be smiling for the cameras tomorrow as well.

Mary Jane Sleeping Longer Nights

In a great bit of news for her parents (as well as the rabbits), Mary Jane is now sleeping almost 11 hours a night. "Finally," said Cherry Bugg who often sleeps in the parents' room. "All that crying irritated my ears. It's bad enough we have a baby boy but now a baby girl too? Thump." She was referring to Chip who although claiming he is a man still acts in a very boyish manner.

As for the extra sleep, Mister John aka Daddy said, "Now if the springtime of our content." Miss Jill aka Mommy was asleep and could not be held for comment.

New Year But Grass Is Still Yummy

While Mister John stayed indoors and watched college football (and Doctor Who reruns) for most of the day, the bunnies were in the back yard munching on incredibly green grass. The ten inches of rain that has fallen in the past two weeks has made the grass a most verdant colour. Root Beer Float, as you can see on the left, was quite happy to munch away in the northwest corner of the backyard.

Meanwhile Phillip hopped around and kept an eye on Mister John's weeding by the house.

Cherry Bugg and Chip stayed indoors to stay warm and keep an eye on Mary Jane. While Chip still isn't sure how to assess the Mary Jane quotient, he's at least not thumping in her presence. Good for Chip; it's his first step into becoming a man.

Do They Know It's Thumpmas?

Thumpmas time is back again! Time to get out your cards and give them to your favorite neglected rabbits. What? You don't know about the most significant event in the rabbit calendar? For shame! And a thump at thee!

Let me recount the backgrounds of the hallowed day of Thumpmas. On that night of December 25th, a tired Joseph and a quite pregnant Mary were trying to find a place to stay for the night. There was no room in the inn so they had to stay out in a nearby stable. All the animals all were allowed to stay: sheep, donkeys, raccoons, dolphins... everyone except the rabbits! They were forcefully moved out by the Shepherds. Then the Magi later came by that night and tried to eat them! How intolerably rude!!! Thus the rabbits on the scene were quite upset and rightly so. The birth of the Baby Jesus startled them with His commotion. With all the Seraphim singing and the Choirs and Hosts rejoicing, the rabbits could do only what they knew: they THUMPED. And with that thump, that startled the Baby Jesus and He cried for the very first time. Granted a few windows broke but still the upset rabbits helped create one of the seminal moments in Jesus' life. The rabbits look back on Thumpmas with mixed emotions. Yes, the great Jesus was born but they were also kicked out of their home, thus starting a tradition in many nations: the chasing of rabbits out of hutches.

Ironically, Miss Jill and Mister John are with new child this Thumpmas. But no rabbits were kicked out. Instead they shall be fed at home by a bunny sitter.

True Chip came out last Thumpmas to Arizona and thumped all night in the Kendalls' laundry room because someone (re: Miss Jill) left the light on all night in there. Rumor has it in the bunny community that Miss Jill and Mister John adopted a beautiful baby girl for the sole purpose of not bringing a bunny out to Arizona for Thumpmas.

Grampa Says Hi to the Little Girl

Some of Mister John's family came over today to say Hi to little Mary Jane again. Nothing makes people happier than seeing a beautiful little baby... and then leaving knowing that they don't have to deal with the crying and fussing and diapers for more than just a two-hour visit.

Mary Jane behaved quite splendidly as did Chip. He hopped into the living room a few times to make his presence known and then hopped off to hide wherever he likes hiding. Or maybe stare at a wall or something just as mystifying.

With the picture here, Grampa got to hold the little girl. Ah, his first grandchild was Manny and that was over 28 years ago. I guess being a grandfather is something one doesn't forget. Unlike riding a bicycle. THUMP.

Rainy Days and Saturdays Always Get Them Down

Fresh after a long morning photo shoot, Mary Jane (to the left, you silly goofballs, not the right) passed out and is sleeping quite heartily right now. Nothing tires a girl out more than taking hundreds of photos. She struck the poses quite well.

Meanwhile Chip sits in his cage... even though it is open, he is afraid that someone else will take a picture of him and steal his soul. I don't know how that's working out for him since Mister John has taken many pictures of Chippers.

Ah, sleepy time...