How To Pick a Monkey... (guest written by Monica)

Here at the Sock Monkey Orphanage, we had a wonderful Mother's Day weekend! First, the kids' Texas grandparents came up to stay with us Friday evening through Sunday morning. The Texas grandma played with all the monkeys...including Doug, Rayna, and Darcy! Sunday morning we saw the Texas grandparents off and then hopped into the car ourselves and drove up to the Kansas City area to meet with the Missouri grandparents and the Kansas grandparents for lunch...delivering Grace and George along the way!

A moment in the weekend that I, personally, found rather enlightening was as the Texas grandma agonized over which monkey to adopt. She sat there in the recliner with all five of the currently waiting monkeys (Emily, Larry, Buddy, Aaron, and Maria). After a bit, she asked the Texas grandpa which monkey HE thought they ought to take home.

He decisively replied, "One of the three bigger monkeys." (That would have been Emily, Larry, or Maria.)

To which Texas grandma replied, "You WOULD say that! I was debating between the two small dark monkeys!" (Aaron and Buddy)

Texas grandma thought a moment longer and then asked, "Well, of the two small dark monkeys which one would you pick?"

Texas grandpa instantly pointed to the striped one. (Aaron)

Her problem solved, Texas grandma happily announced, "We'll take the little silver and black one!" (Buddy)

THAT'S how you pick a monkey!



(That is how soft-spoken Buddy, Grover's best friend ever, wound up becoming a Texan. Something that MIGHT have played into Grandma's decision making process is that Buddy is Darcy's favorite monkey, next to Grover, of course. Darcy loves him because his wonderful, big ears always make her think of the courageous, well-read, little mouse, Despereaux. Besides which, her monkey,Grover, and Buddy have been inseparable since their very first days here at the orphanage. I guess Grover will just have to go to Texas, himself, this summer to visit his best friend, Buddy! And that very well may have crossed Texas Grandms's mind...because, as we have seen, where Grover goes, Darcy goes!)