Monkey Business

It all started a week and a half ago when Nuala began dragging this little monkey EVERYWHERE. Despite the fact that the monkey only has one arm, despite the fact that the tail never got sewn on and despite the fact that the poor thing has no ears, it didn't seem to matter one bit to our little Nuala, oh no, she was IN LOVE. Throughout the course of her day, she could be found singing it lullabies, teaching it how to dance, dragging it along to brush teeth, wrapping it in a cozy blanket, feeding it some pickles (monkey's favorite apparently) and even insisting that monkey needed a diaper change. At bed time if monkey wasn't in her crib, which after a busy day it usually wasn't, she would all but demand that someone find the cute little guy. The sooner the better.

Ok. I mean, it was kinda fun to watch since Nuala has never really shown preference to any one toy before.......

But then I had to go and ruin it by inviting another monkey to play. A snazzier model, complete with arms and a tail and even a SMILE, fresh out of the dark craft closet and perfect for Oscar. Except. Well. Whatever Oscar wants, Nuala gets. One way or another. And man oh man has she ever had her eye on monkey number two ever since it arrived on the scene. At least 7 times a day I am summoned (by screaming no less) to come and referee a little monkey business. Which naturally means that I have to chase Nuala around the house trying to grab onto a limb (of the monkeys!) or tail in an attempt to defuse a hostage like situation and return a monkey to it's rightful owner.

After a few tiring days of this monkey in the middle, I decided that Nuala needed a distraction from it all, and so I made her a new and improved monkey.

Not only with all the right appendages, but this little one even has EARS! It took a good day and a half, but I pushed on through all the painstakingly dreadful hand stitching because I just knew that it would be the answer to all our problems.

As usual, the joke is on me, because as usual, the only monkey that Nuala wants is the one she can't have. Hopefully we can negotiate some type of compromise, but until then I am on monkey patrol.