****(SPECIAL NOTE) I just wanted to wish everyone a wonderful Christmas. There is so much to be thankful for in our lives. Just knowing what the reason for the season is gives us a special gift that keeps on giving to us every moment.
I have been very busy during this Christmas season and my monks have been so patient and easy to live with during this time. As I was reflecting about this, I remembered writing a blog in September about a party that Pixie and I attended to celebrate a friend's monkey's second birthday. In that blog I talked about how every monkey was perfect for each of their caregivers. Tonight I was thinking about how very perfect my monks are for my own life.
My monks have been wonderful during my time of sewing and working on my creative projects. This Christmas I have been busy sewing. I love to sew outfits for not only my monks but for many other people's monkeys too.
****My troupe of “Toddler” monkeys, who spend lots of time with me in my kitchen area of my house, are so contented as they watch me run the sewing machine, press seams out with the iron and all of the other things that I must do when I am sewing.
During my burst of “creating,” it is hard to spend time with the monks and do the creating at the same time. When this happened in the past it used to pull on my guilt strings, but this last “creative time” has been totally different. As I was sewing this season, I decided to keep a closer eye on the monks throughout the entire time.
(QUESTION TIME) What has made it different for you this year, Mary Lynn?
Even though I am sewing just a few feet away from them, I have been able to see they actually understand that I am not present for them to entertain or stimulate them. They know definitely that I am busy and focused on my project and believe it or not they are simply choosing to enjoy playing and entertaining themselves for many hours on end.
****When you are raising a baby monkey in captivity, it is very important to allow it to learn not only how to be a monkey who is using baby toys to play with, but also to let it learn it is a monkey who can explore and learn how to entertain itself
A balance with these two things is very important to get a well adjusted, grounded monkey who can be happy with or without you and your undivided attention. As I was raising Silly Willy, I tried to spend as much time with him out of his playpen as he spent in it.
****Everyone's lifestyle is very different, so this means that every monkey is going to be programmed very differently in order, to fit into our individual lives.
****(SPECIAL NOTE) When we start comparing our monkey to other people's monkey we my even start hearing ourselves start to say, “Oh, that would never work for me!”
Get your copy of the down-loadable book called “Living With Monkeys” The Baby Book at:
www.livingwithmonkeys.com so you can learn how to choose good programming for your baby monkey.
Try to be non-judgmental of how another person's monkey lives and acts, even if it is different from the way we choose to raise our own monkey. It is normal for things to be done differently in each monkey home.
Let's get started on understanding the true concept of raising a monkey in captivity. We all wish to have a happy, well adjust monkey living in our home.
This is a must read type of book for monkey caregivers. Go to www.livingwithmonkeys.com and remember you can follow us on Facebook too!
- Merry Christmas
- from Mary Lynn and the monks of
- SunShine MonkeyShines.