🌿 Socializing Wendy: One Crabby Joey, Two Tweedles, and a Whole Lot of Love

When Wendy first came out of pouch on May 22, 2025, we were thrilled. She was the very first joey born at the Grove to come from fully lineaged parents—Sue and Dave Kerr—and we knew she was special from the start.

But special doesn’t always mean easy.

Wendy was, in a word, high-strung. Like her mother, Sue, she was quick to crab and slow to trust. Her dad is one of the calmest gliders in the colony, but it was clear early on that Wendy had inherited her mama’s jumpiness. And that meant we had some serious work to do to help her grow into a confident, social glider.

Just a few days after Wendy emerged from the pouch, another surprise arrived: Meg’s twin joeys, born to a pairing with Junior Mallow, opened their eyes—one on May 29, the other on May 31. We affectionately nicknamed them Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, and instantly fell in love with their distinct personalities. One had a classic standard coat, the other was a bright-eyed white tip.

We decided to raise the three joeys side by side for socialization—not only for their benefit, but to give Wendy the experience of interacting with other babies outside of her family.

👕 Shirt Rides and Store Adventures

Socializing joeys isn’t just about cuddling—it’s about slowly introducing them to new experiences, environments, and people. We used two bonding pouches, one for Wendy and one for the twins. They often got crabby when separated from their parents, so we always moved gently and with respect for their needs. When one or all got overwhelmed, we paused, offered extra cuddles, and waited for them to feel safe again.

Some days, especially on short outings, Wendy preferred riding in our shirt rather than staying zipped up in a pouch. It gave her a sense of security and control—and sometimes, when she got spooked by a new sound or smell, she’d scurry into the boys’ pouch for comfort.

There were plenty of moments when all three joeys were nestled in our shirt, choosing their own snuggle spots while we walked the aisles of our favorite pet-friendly stores. It could be chaotic—especially if they all got startled at once—but it was always worth it.

🎬 A Peek into the Past

To this day, we believe those early socialization efforts made a huge difference. Wendy has blossomed into a much calmer glider and now lives peacefully with Lucky Mallow and the Aetherwood girls. She rarely crabs anymore, and she loves her cage family.

Below is one of our favorite videos from that time—a quiet moment with Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, taken just after their eyes opened. It captures their sleepy trust, their little movements, and the beginning of their journey toward becoming confident, human-friendly gliders.

🎥 Caption:
Freshly opened eyes, tiny paws, and that slow blink of trust. Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum snuggle together in their pouch, surrounded by warmth and the beginning of new friendships.

📹 Video: Tweedle Twins, 6/17/2025

🍞 Crumbs and Confidence

You may notice the debris in their pouch—and we want to take a moment to talk about that. Like many gliders, our colony often snacks where they sleep. Normally, we’re diligent about pouch hygiene, but in this case, we chose to avoid disturbing the babies and their family too much during such a sensitive period.

As new joey keepers at the time, we were still learning how to balance cleanliness with comfort. The pouch was never fully empty—there was always someone curled up in it—so we waited. What mattered most was that they felt safe, secure, and loved. And they did.

💚 Growing Up, Letting Go

The Tweedle Twins, newly christened “Ozzy” and “Motley”, were adopted together on August 11, 2025, and we’ve been thrilled to hear that they’re settling in beautifully. Wendy stayed behind, but her path is no less bright—calmer now, more confident, and surrounded by friends. We’re proud of the groundwork we laid, and grateful for the tiny crabby joey who grew into such a lovely glider.

Every glider’s story begins in the pouch—but where they go from there is shaped by care, patience, and love.

🖋️ —The Grove Keepers (with Fable Quillvine, Archivist of the Grove)