Monkeys and Bananas

Really!!! All I wanted to do was stimulate the mind of the monkey. I've seen it done before and it really is fascinating. You take things from your bag and hold them up in front of the monkey's face and the monkey really does respond, you can just see the wheels turning. The whole family was standing there (luckily no one else) when I started stimulating the monkey's mind with an old-maid filled popcorn bowl just purchased at the zoo cafe. Jamie informed me with a puzzled look that that was just mean to do (as if the zoo animal had a regular snack diet of popcorn). Well I was frazzled and searching in my bag for something else a little less torturous but stimulating all the while. So I pull out of my bag......a banana! Jamie now proceeded to look completely shocked and told the boys that mom was evil (well I'll agree airheaded) and told me to put it away. But the monkey saw it and was obviously very stimulated as now it was going from side to side staring at me (wouldn't take his eyes off of me or well the banana), I couldn't just put it away. What is a person to do, I felt super guilty and awful at the same time as the monkey is now trying to follow me everywhere so like any rational and good hearted person would do I took Zane (my scapegoat) around the monkey exhibit to covertly try to smuggle some of the banana to the monkey. I tried throwing it threw the chain link fence to no avail, I couldn't get close enough and now me and the monkey were frustrated and Jamie was telling me we were going to get kicked out and black balled from the zoo and Zane is saying "mama threw nana."
Jamie got me paranoid that I was going to get hauled out of the zoo in handcuffs. Thus, We all quickly started exiting the monkey exhibit and Jamie was still telling me that there was definitely cameras and that I was definitely going to get kicked out. I am persistent and stubborn however so.... to make one last attempt I threw a third of the banana on top of the fencing where it would either land and wait or fall through the fence... both resulting in the monkey getting a well deserved banana snack. Quickly walking away we saw the WRONG monkey eating the banana. At bedtime the boys were saying "mama threw the banana monkey."

Just today

I was vacuuming like a madman upstairs as Zeb and Zane were "playing" on the couch without the cushions (I being a "cool mom" took them off for the little people to stay occupied for a few minutes) I come down the stairs and what to my wondering eyes did appear but the entire costco sized jar of cashews dumped out all over the couch and two little people jumping all over them playing with their trains on the back of the couch, of course, laughing until I freaked out and yes to little understanding tried to explain that this kind of behavior is bad and that those cashews were expensive, they looked at me with blank smirks. I made them clean up the mess with me and in another fury to clean the already once just minutes before hand vacuumed couch and carpet I didn't notice Zeb had disappeared. I start to go into the kitchen to finish up the once every two weeks mandatory vacuuming and what to my wondering eyes did appear but Zeb trying to pour himself some milk or should I say the refrigerator door wide open and a full but opened 1/2 gallon of milk lying on its side spilling onto the floor with Bear lurking in the background waiting for his chance to act like a cat. All in a matter of 5 minutes!!!