Sock Monkey Awareness

There is a little known problem sweeping our country today, a problem many of us are guilty of adding to. Just about everyone reading this has heard of the children's poem "Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed." Sometimes this number may even be increased to ten. You've probably seen books, short movies, and even sung the song yourself. You like the catchy melody and the fun counting game it provides. What you do not realize is that you are feeding a dangerous occupation for sock monkeys.

Although many books may portray the jumping monkeys as your run of the mill monkeys, the monkeys doing the jumping are sock monkeys about 97% of the time. Sock monkeys find that jumping on the bed gets them the publicity and attention they crave. Bed jumping is quickly becoming a serious- and dangerous!!!- occupation for sock monkeys of all sizes and patterns. In fact, sock monkeys made from unique patterns such as argyle or polka-dots are twice as likely to jump on the bed. They claim that jumping "just makes [them] feel like part of the group of sock monkeys as a whole." All of these monkeys just want the attention that the stories and songs bring them. They just want to be on the cover of the next book or, better yet, the next movie adaptation.

But why is jumping such a big deal? Studies show that roughly ten out of every ten monkeys that jump on the bed will bump their head- or worse! Doctors have warned again and again about the dangers of jumping on the bed. "No more monkeys jumping on the bed!" they cry again and again and again. The poor mothers of these sock monkeys are constantly on the phone with their doctors trying to solve the problem, but so far it has been to no avail! And the bumping of heads is all that makes the news but it has been reported that some monkeys have had snags in their fabric, loss of stuffing, chipped button eyes and other possible injuries. To date there are no reports of death, but it is only a matter of time.

So, what can you do to help? Join our movement! Help to show these sock monkeys that they are loved and do not have to put themselves at risk for attention! Try these things:

• Give them a good snuggle.
• Play with them on a regular basis.
• Work them into your daily activities. (Sock monkeys LOVE to cook and babysit!)
• Display them proudly around your house. (Client Two's nursery is sock monkey themed!)
• Stop reading and supporting the jumping on the bed books and products.
• Adopt a sock monkey in your favorite pattern today!

Remember, it is never too late to start saving the sock monkeys. Even if you have, unknowingly, put them in danger before, you now know what can be done. So, join me and my clients as we support the Sock Monkey Awareness Initiative. We look forward to your continued support!

     Diversity is key!

**Disclaimer: I shouldn't even have to write this but as people are stupid I feel the need to say that this post is not meant to offend, belittle or take away from any actual causes. Just sayin'.

Role Model

Whether or not we like it, we are definitely role models for our children. They watch everything that we do and they absorb it. This means that as parents we need to keep a close eye on our actions and our words. But this post isn't a lecture. It's just an example of how closely our kids watch us and how they want to be like us.

Client One definitely has that maternal instinct that most little girls have. She loves playing with her dolls and just about every little stuffed animal has become her "baby." She cradles them in her arms, tucks them into their little beds, plays with them and feeds them. But it's how she feeds them sometimes that's funny. 

For anyone that does not know, I am breastfeeding Client Two. Since it is a completely natural process, I do not hide from Client One when I feed Client Two,  so she has seen me feed him multiple times. One day I look over and she has her shirt pulled up with a baby doll press to her chest. When I asked her what she was doing, she informed me that she was feeding her baby, just like I did. Yep. She was breastfeeding her baby doll.

Now, most of the time I just breastfeed like normal, but on occasion when we will be away from the house for a while or somebody else is watching Client Two, I might pump a couple of bottles of milk for him. I had to go back to work when Client One was a baby, so I have a pretty nice pump that makes this convenient. Well, the other day I walked into Client One's room to find her with a little plastic candle that had been on her window at Christmas time. It had a little suction cup on it so it would actually stick to the window. I figured it had probably fallen off behind her bed and when she was supposed to be napping she came across it. I asked her why she had the candel and in response she pulled up her shirt and placed the suction cup on her chest. "I'm pumping milk for my baby, Mommy!" It took every ounce of will-power not to burst out laughing.

I think it's awesome that she is watching me so closely. Of course, soon I will have two pairs of very observant eyes watching my every move and maybe even mimicking me. It's awesome, yet intimidating. In general, I think many parents want their children to take after them. Well, at least they're good traits. And that's the scary part- there are some things I don't want my children to take after me. Nothing drastic or terrifying, I just want them to be better people in general than I feel like I am. Not that I'm a horrible person.  I'm pretty awesome in fact. But I am human and I do make mistakes. Now that I know she's watching so closely, I take extra care and what I say and what I do. I want to be a good example.

3:30 AM

It's 3:30 in the morning and I've been awake with Client Two for a good thirty minutes or so. The ornery little guy just won't go back to sleep. So, I've decided to make a list of all the stuff that's going through my head at this wee hour. 

• He kind of looks like the Michelin Man in just his diaper with all his cute little rolls.

• I paid good money for this stupid dishwasher white noise. Why isn't it working?

• Sweet! Sold more stuff on Facebook.

• Why won't he take his paci? He loves his paci.

• Hubby would hate me if I went and woke him up.

• I bet I can make Mary Had a Little Lamb into a rap.

• I need to oil this glider rocking chair or something. The squeaking is so loud it sounds like there's a mouse stuck in it.

• He's lucky he's cute.

• "Mary had a little lamb whose fleece was white as snow, and everywhere that Mary went the little lamb yelled 'Yo!'"

• Wow that's a bad smell! No wonder he wasn't sleeping!

• I'm going to need to buy diapers soon.

• He pooped. Why is he still awake?

• "It followed her to school one day which was against the rules!"

• It's hot in here. I bet that's why he's not sleeping. Let's turn the air down to 65* and see if that helps. 

• I really want a Chick-Fil-A biscuit right now. 

• "Go Mary! Go Mary! Break it down! Break it down!"

• That sock monkey is looking at me.

• I need to organize his clothes again.

• I need to clean up the nursery. Why is it so messy? Oh, yeah. Life.

• "Go Lambie! Go Lambie! Break it down! Break it down!"

• Is it getting too cold in here? 

• His eyes are closed! Dare I move? No, not yet! I am NOT starting this process over!

• I'll just Google myself really quickly. Yep that's me.

• Okay, he hasn't moved. I'm going to put him in his crib now and pray he stays asleep.