Meet Our Moose

I am the first to admit I've made a few mistakes as a parent. Not packing diapers when taking a baby on an airplane, letting Ben try on the pink stretchy pants, signing Janae up for ballet at age 2, selling the double stroller.

But all of these make me seem like the Mother of the Year compared to one mistake I have made . . . one of moose-sized proportion, you might say.

I was sitting in the living room on a windy fall afternoon, playing with 5-year-old Benjamin and 2-year-old Janae, when we heard a low honking sound. This sound is common in our house during the fall, winter, and even spring, as wind whips through our screen door.

This time, however, when I heard the wind I opened my eyes wide, looked at my two young, impressionable children, and--in a low voice--said, "That sounds like a MOOSE . . . an ANGRY MOOSE."

Benjamin and Janae opened their eyes extra wide, too, but they did something I hadn't anticipated: they started to tremble with fear.

"It's just the wind," I quickly assured them. But to no avail. From that moment on, the sound of the wind through our screen became known as "The Angry Moose."

I've tried reasoning with the kids, I've tried explaining that the moose has gone back to the forest--but The Angry Moose has remained, striking fear in my children every time (well, at least a little fear--Ben is getting pretty brave, even in the face of angry mooses).

To make the situation even worse, though, Ben and Janae have passed the legend of The Angry Moose, and the terror it inspires, down to their younger sister Alaina.

As soon as Alaina could talk, whenever she heard the sound she said, Mooo (meaning, of course, "moose") and made a frightened face.



With Alaina being so young, though, I saw my opportunity. I could set this right. I could be sure that at least one of my children was not scared of an angry moose that doesn't exist.

So, one day when we heard the wind, and Alaina said "Moose?" (her speech is really coming along!), I said--in the most cheerful and excited voice I could muster on two hours of sleep--"Yes . . . it's the FRIENDLY MOOSE!!!"

Alaina looked at me with a little uncertainty but then smiled.

Since then, I have been consistent in commenting on the Friendly Moose, The Happy Moose, the nice moose that comes to visit us. This has gone well, and Alaina and I now smile when we hear the moose. We've even started calling him "Mooska" :)

Then last week we were sitting at the table, having lunch, when we heard the Friendly Moose moan. Alaina turned to me with a big smile, and I said, "It's the Friendly Moose!"

Janae then frowned at me and said, "THE MOOSE IS NOT HAPPY . . . THE MOOSE IS MAD!!!!"

So there you have it. I've created an angry moose that will not go away, or even get cheered up.



Not exactly my proudest accomplishment. But possibly my most lasting one :)