Monkey Love

Anna is whooped. Head over heels. Utterly and completely infatuated. IN LOVE with monkeys. Actually one particular monkey. Curious George.

When did this love affair begin? Who knows exactly.

It could have started when she was a baby. She had a FAVORITE book that she loved toting around to church, restaurants, EVERYWHERE we went. It was this little monkey book that her Aunt Sue gave her.

Or maybe could it have been the monkeys (orangutans actually) that we saw swinging above our heads at the National Zoo?

Nah, she was more interested in the zoo cookies Aunt Andrea gave her.

Or was it love at first sight the first time she watched an episode of Curious George?

Whenever it began exactly, it doesn't matter, but she hasn't stopped loving since.

It's funny thinking back on the progression of her monkey love. Before she could talk, she knew how to communicate her monkey priority. When I would get her up in the morning, first thing she would do, was "ee-ee, ah-ah". This meant, "I want to watch that funny monkey show."

Eventually this turned into, "Dorge!" and now it's a "George!" and sometimes, "My George-y!"

It's so funny watching her watch Curious George. She gets so in to it. It's like a man watching a football game. If someone is getting in the way of George's plans, she yells at the TV, "No Hundley! no!" or "Go Way Sharkie! Go Way!" And my favorite, "HAT! HAT!" (for the man in the yellow hat)

She has a few George's that she carries around with her during the day. She likes to show George things that she thinks are neat. We'll be doing something and she stops and says, "Show George! Show George!" and runs to get him. And she even has George talk to grandma on the phone sometimes too. On Dave's birthday when I told her we were going to make daddy a cake, she said, "I like cake! George LOVES cake." It cracked me up because that morning she watched an episode about George getting a job to try and earn money for an Easy Bake Oven to bake cakes. Last week we were reading a book and the character had a baby sister. Anna said, "Anna want baby sista. George want baby sista." (Ahem, we'll have to talk to daddy about that.)

Out of all the things for her to be in love with, I love that she's in love with this monkey. Sure he can get into trouble, but he's a good little monkey. It's never scary, there's no bad guys. It's safe. And there's a line of books, to boot. The best part is, I have used George as an example countless times and things click with her. Like, "Remember how George's tub broke when he took his regular toys in the tub?" Issue solved. Non-water proof toys dropped and she's running for the tub without a fight. "Anna, we can't eat noodles until they're cooked. We have to make them floppy, like George did." Noodles go in the floppification pot and all is well.

So how long will this love affair last? I don't know, but as long as she doesn't take him to the prom, I'm okay with it. George is nice to have around.