The Pretty + The Brave: The Adventures of Monkey and Monkey

Disclaimer: You will be hit with pure cuteness in this post. As well as some grainy iPhone photos, but what can I say, I can't always have the DSLR in my hands, besides, the cuteness still shines through the graininess. :)

We’ve got pet names for days in our house. Rarely is one of us called by our given name and if we are, well, it’s most likely goin’ down. So instead of hearing “Ethan!” Or "Seth!" you’ll here “E” or “babe.” When it comes to Owen he, alone, has a plethora of nicknames – Monkey being the one I use most. He was given the name because, like his sister, when he was little he had absolutely no fear of heights and climbed on and up every and anything. I’d refer to him as a ‘little spider monkey’ which eventually got shortened down to simply ‘Monkey’ over the years.

And now my monkey loves…well, monkeys. He loves to watch them at the zoo, he points to the adorable Paul Frank shirts with monkeys on them and he loves his very first Paul Frank monkey shirt so much that he wouldn’t let me donate it when he outgrew it so I decided to keep it. I think I may turn it into something I can incorporate into his bedroom decor somehow.

All this is to say that he has a stuffed moneky that my parents sent him for Christmas last year. He loved it when he first received it, it’s so plush and soft, but he wasn’t much of a stuffed animal kid. I mean, he’d sleep with them at night but beyond that he wasn’t interested. But beginning a few weeks ago he’s been caring for Monkey and toting him around like a proud big brother.

Seriously, Monkey goes almost everywhere with us. And if Owen decides that Monkey will be staying home for whatever reason, he puts him to bed for a nap.

Or on the couch with some cozy covers.

I’ve even been directed to babysit Monkey while Owen was at school. And Mr Monkey was lucky enough to get a ~~front~~ middle row seat when we made the move from our Destin apartment to our Crestview house a few weeks ago.

Although during one trip in the car I received some sassiness from Owen when I tried to explain that his monkey couldn't be buckled in the seat belt with him because it could prevent his seat belt from working properly. But all he could focus on was wanting his monkey safe also.

I love seeing him with his monkey. I think I like seeing the way he cares for him. And how genuinely concerned he is for Monkey’s well-being. I’ve started to take at least one candid photo a day of him and his monkey as they are just doing their thing, oblivious to me and my camera. I started sending the photos to Seth and calling them: “The Adventures of Monkey and Monkey.” And so that’s how it began, my little daily routine where I see my monkey with his monkey so often that I don’t usually notice it until I sit at the dinner table for instance and Monkey is also ready to dine. Or we're at the pool and monkey gets his own lawn chair. It’s moments like that where I can’t help but to smile and snap a picture.