I think I may have mentioned before that I am not organized enough to take a family picture, print it up, write a little newsletter to go with it, and then mail it using stamps and actual paper in time for Christmas. That has not changed since last year and it probably never will. But we still end up taking a family picture most years so that my mother-in-law Lorrae can have one to use in her family newsletter. We took a photo for this year recently, and it only struck me as funny after I had sent it to her that we put Dangles the Monkey in the picture without even thinking about it. Of course we did. He's part of the family.

It made me realize that it's probably time for me to issue a plea for help with a problem I'm having related to this monkey and his serious maintenance needs. When it became clear that Kate was exceedingly attached to this particular stuffed monkey, we acted on the advice of several friends and bought two identical back-up monkeys so that if we ever lost one our lives would not descend into total chaos and suffering. That proved to be a very wise decision a few months ago, when Dan and Kate returned from an errand-running jaunt without the monkey they had taken with them. And now there are two. Obviously, given the amount of wear and tear this poor toy receives from being the companion for literally every second of Kate's days, I have to wash him pretty frequently. He's perfect for that in most ways, but the one problem that has arisen is that his mouth, which consists of a brown thread stitched across his face, has come loose. At first they were just a little loose but then Kate started pulling on them and at this point they're basically completely undone. I recently took a stab at stitching one back in place, and it didn't go so well because I don't know if I've ever mentioned this, but in addition to not being a very good wife in the Christmas card department, I am also a domestic failure in that my ability with a needle and thread ends at being able to replace a button. Badly. And with way too much thread so that it won't even button right. Translate that onto a stuffed animal's face and Dangles is starting to look like Frankenstein's monkey.

So. I am wondering if anyone has ever encountered this kind of problem, and if so, what you did about it? Do I just need to perfect my mouth-sewing technique, or is there someone I can pay or beg to fix these monkeys up for me? Monkey plastic surgeons? Toy fixer uppers? Your input is much appreciated. I have a feeling my job might be on the line. That's how important this monkey is to her.