Zippity Monkeys

I've got to give you a little background before pressing onward with the story of the day. I've got a tender-hearted little girl. She may not look it or act like it outwardly, but deep within that soul is straight tenderness....which leads to some heart wrenching tears on what some would believe to be random occasions. For instance, slow songs get her. One day watching Sesame Street, Norah Jones made a guest appearance and sang a song about the letter "Y" to the tune of "Don't Know Why" - a slow song. Well that just ripped her to shreds. The biggest alligator tears I've ever seen and all she wanted was for me to hold her. Dang...Norah's letter Y song almost got me too! Then there was the time I sang The Carpenters "Close to You" (which used to be the only song that would calm her down when she was a baby) on a long car ride to pass the time, and dang if I didn't look into the rearview mirror and see those same alligator tears. Big ones. Huge. No loud weeping. Just that frowny face we all get when trying to hold back a breakdown...and the alligators.

Well it happened again today. But this time I was unloading the dishwasher while the babes sat at the table finishing lunch, and I was feeling mighty chipper. I burst into song (as is typical when I'm unloading the dishwasher), and today's song-of-the-day happened to be "Zippity Do Da". I thought, in honor of the recent passing of Pavarotti, I would give it an opera theme. As I pranced around the kitchen toting utensils and dishes to their proper places while singing my heart out, I spun around to see it once again. The alligators. Dang. I've done it again. Apparently it had been going on for a verse or two because the alligators were everywhere and the frowny face was in full bloom. Who knew Zippity would make me cry too?! The best part was little brother's expression while watching his mommy & sister melt down to one of his favorite songs. Huh?

After picking up the pieces of her soul off the kitchen floor, I let the babes have some play time in the family room. While completing my dishwashing task I hear Little Miss Tenderheart say to her brother: "share the monkeys......Share The Monkeys........I TOLD YOU TO SHARE THE MONKEYS!!!!!" I couldn't help but laugh when I came in to see a 2 yr old losing her cool and her 8 month old brother laughing hysterically while winning the tug of war with a barrell of monkeys.

Advice to live on: When in doubt, share the monkeys.