Grandkeeper Bought Them for the Wrong Kid!

This is who she bought them for.

This is what I've been looking at all morning.

She's a fashion plate, she is!

A Letter from the Zookeeper

**This is actually two letters to different people but they're short so I'll put them together.**

Dear Small Exhibits,

I love you! I love that we had a wonderful two weeks of holiday celebrations. You did a wonderful job helping to decorate the Christmas tree and I was incredibly proud of your behavior at the Christmas Eve party. I was even more impressed with your desire to share on the big day itself. A million thank you's for being so well behaved while your Auntie B and Uncle N were here too. There is a chance now that you may eventually, one day in the distant future acquire some cousins. After Auntie B's last visit I was a bit worried.

That being said? It's time for Orangutan to go back to school....YESTERDAY!! I'm glad you enjoyed your time together but if I have to break up one more inter exhibit kicking, screaming, whining, scratching, hair pulling, knock down, drag out, war to end all wars - I will shut this Zoo down until you are all over the age of 25. I will not hang around to feed you, clean up after you or do your laundry so unless you have a undiscovered dream of being skinny, hungry, dirty, smelly and altogether disgusting, I suggest you take extra care to make sure that O gets up on time for school on Tuesday.

All my love, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Your Zookeeper.
********************************************************************

Dear Mrs. Claus,

I sincerely appreciate the attention you gave my list. You truly are your family's saint! The Ipod is being loaded as I write; the new bed set is incredibly beautiful as well as super snuggly; the new boots are incredibly stylish and the turtle neck is wonderfully versatile. The bonus pots and pans you threw in were perfect and the surprise gardening encyclopedia will be a great help in the spring when it's time to plant. You really are quite the miracle worker.

Now I know in all the hustle and bustle, you were bound to miss a few things so I thought I would let you know what was going on so you could address the problem with the problem departments before next year.

To your art department - NON washable markers and paints should be reserved for families in which ALL the children have stopped eating said art supplies. Or at least they should write the letter to the toddler Sunday School teacher explaining why her favorite student's beautiful dress was accompanied by teal teeth.

To your makeup department - all fingernail polish, makeup, lipstick and other facial acoutrements should also be reserved for familes with children in their teens. Or at least given to children who DO NOT think that the male dog would look good with purple toe nails - on the day I have cleaned the carpets.

To the Matchbox department - when giving a race track to a young boy please be sure to wrap up a box of patience for the father of said boy to be opened while they are trying to figure the blasted, too many parts, gotta have the precision timing of a NASCAR driver thing out.

Otherwise my dear, I would say you did a stellar job this year! Kudos and here's a glass of (heavily spiked) eggnog to you!

With my upmost respect,
The Zookeeper

Tissues Optional for Today's Post.

Ok. So yesterday I got scolded for not issuing a tissue warning before putting up my post. Today should be in the clear but keep them close just in case. Don't worry. Tomorrow is completely irreverent and ridiculous as you have come to expect from me. And now on with our show!!

**There are some technical issues over at MomDot so I can't give you the VIP's yet but I'll grab those as soon as I can!**

Sponsors: Flying Colors Baby, Uncommonly Cute and Lollipop book club

The question of the day:

Tell us about a favorite holiday memory from YOUR childhood.

There is a story that is told (entirely too often) in our house that stands out as a superstar memory from my childhood. My mother and father worked in a sewing factory when we were growing up - my mother as a seamstress and my father as the manager of the cutting room/master machine mechanic. I am sure that it goes without saying that the pay for those positions was not rock star pay. Did I know the difference? No. Did I care? No. I just knew that we had food to eat, a roof over our heads and a great community.

One Christmas in a budgeting strategy we can all take a lesson from nowadays, we had a full blown homemade Christmas. My father converted a refrigerator box into a puppet theater with some blue paint, a screen door spring and some cotton curtains. It was my sister’s present but I think it is safe to claim that we both played it to death. There were homemade Care Bears under the tree and there was a red and blue sleeping bag with a built in bear head pillow laid out on the couch.

I was just learning to read at the time. When we came down the stairs Christmas morning we sprinted to the puppet theater and I saw on the tag that there was a name that started with B. That was for my sister Beth. Then I saw the sleeping bag. That tag had a name that started with B too. Grudgingly I said, “Bethie this one is for you too! Wow! It’s really great!” And I was content to move to the rest of the presents under the tree to find a tag with an S name on it.

Then Mom said, “Sarah, look closer at that tag.” I was a huge fan of teddy bears at the time so I was known to family as Bear (something I have never confessed much less in such a public forum). Beth looked at the tag and said, “It doesn’t say Beth! It says Bear!” Before anyone could take it back I was in the sleeping bag and grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

We went home for my sister’s wedding in January 07. Beds were limited so my mom pulled out some tricks. There was an air mattress that Tuck slept on in Grammy and Poppie’s room. And Auntie B slept in Mommy’s old twin bed in her room. Daddy and I shared Auntie B’s full size bed in her room. Munch wasn’t here yet. And guess where Molly Magoo slept?

On the floor beside Auntie B in a very familiar old red and blue sleeping bag with a built in bear pillow.