“Monkey” and “Spider” were the affectionate nicknames my father had for my brother and I. I can’t remember if ne of us was more monkey or spider, but for some reason I always like to think I was the monkey, though it was likely both of us. The monkey survived long, spider, well, I guess I never liked spiders. From the early days, the girls, and now many many others are monkeys, monkey-butt, there was the “I want to be a monkey, a monkey monkey monkey do you want to be one too” song that I had on my computer. I think it came from Ren and Stimpy by the sounds of it. Both girls have at times been little monkeys and monkey-butts. Now that has extended to Kameron, a true monkey-butt if ever there was one. Kelsie, not necessarily a monkey-butt, as I am not sure if teens can can be monkey-butts, buttheads, text-monkeys maybe.
Maylie, however, has the unique role of being the only child to earn and deserve the nickname of “monkey feet.” From at possibly two years old, maybe even younger, her little toes were grabbing things. Usually, cabinet handles on the entertainment center, and she would open and close those doors, over, and over, and over and over…. I mean incessantly. It would drive me nuts. I would just says “Hey, can the monkey feet, monkey butt.” Her nickname for years along with so many others, was monkey feet. Maylie could fall off a chair that wasn’t moving even when she wasn’t either. Yet given a good toon, she could reach backwards with one foot, hook it under a chair behind her, and pull it up under he money butt and sit down withotu missing a beat. The feet man, the feet, magical. Women’s soccer was really getting popular, girls and soccer was the thing to do (still is I think) and here was pure magic money feet. The dreams of a “Maylie” Hamm faded when she discovered that she really didn;t like soccer. At all. Not one bit. I thought about this the other day May May (your most recent nick) and I had seen the picture, probably the closest I could find of the pure bred monkey feet in her normal habitat, with her protege ready to learn at the feet (pun intended) of the master. I love you baby girl.
