Monkey Forest

In keeping with the "monkey theme" this week...I thought I would share this story of one of Elizabeth's recent monkey-inspired creations.

But first, a little background, if you will: As you may or may not know, we live about two blocks from the intersection of I-66 and 495 (aka just inside "The Beltway"). This particular intersection is experiencing a LOT of around-the-clock construction due to the addition of a HOT LANE, which includes the reconfiguring of bridges and entrance/exit ramps and such. Before this construction really got underway, VDOT was kind enough to erect a new sound barrier wall between our neighborhood and the aforementioned freeways. Naturally, all this activity has not gone unnoticed by Elizabeth.

The main road leading out of our neighborhood is parallel to the freeway...with the wall now on one side of the road and a mass of land and trees on the other. Not surprisingly, Elizabeth has nicknamed this wooded area "the monkey forest"! And, almost as soon as the work on the wall began, she would usually remark that they were "building that wall to keep the monkeys from getting out onto the freeway so they won't hurt themselves". Amusing interpretation. But sure...we'll go with that! ;-)

So the other day, Elizabeth is playing with a set of blocks on the living room floor. And when she announces that she's going to build a "monkey wall"...I admit I didn't take much notice of it at first because, well...EVERYTHING is monkeys these days! So, I go about doing whatever it is I was doing...and eventually I leave the room to change Ashley's diaper...and when we return to the living room, I see THIS:


I couldn't help but laugh out loud--and at the same time, marvel at her cleverness! She didn't have to explain any of it to me (because we have had so many conversations about what the monkeys would do if they accidentally got up on the monkey wall, etc.) and I immediately knew what she had created. But, in case you are not seeing it, I will relay her explanation just so you know what her creative mind was thinking.

First, there is the freeway...and next to that there stands the monkey wall, which, of course, is designed to keep the monkeys from getting out onto the freeway. But...just in case the monkeys DO happen to get up on the wall and they don't know how to get down without landing on the freeway, Elizabeth built slides for the monkeys so that they could slide down off the wall and get back into their Monkey Forest! Voila!...the Monkeys are saved!

There you have it! She added the monkeys from her Five Little Monkeys playset to complete the picture!

Thanks for letting me share just a glimpse of what it's like to be the Mommy to my funny little monkey!