Moose Magic

The girls just got these adorable stuffed moose animals from our dear family friend, Connie.  The girls were thrilled with the new toys (the moose accompanied us into a restaurant for dinnertime, and into the bathroom for bathtime, and into the cribs at bedtime), although they were a bit puzzled by its identity.  Susie kept calling hers a “goat,” and I heard Becky refer to hers twice as a “dinosaur.”   I guess I’ve been a bit negligent in teaching them about Alaskan animal species! 

I wanted to document how well-received the gift was, so I asked the girls to sit down together on the couch and pose with their moose (I’m fighting the urge to type “mooses”).  Susie, always happy to mug for the camera, immediately climbed up and started smiling. 

I told her grin that might be a little overkill, so she toned it down:

But I didn’t want her to look sad, so she tried again:

Then she decided it was appropriate to show a few teeth, so we ended up with this: 

All this time, Becky was entertaining herself around the corner, hoping I’d forget to drag her in front of the camera.  No such luck.

Initially, she wasn’t inclined to give me a smile.

But my patience paid off, and she finally gave her beloved moose a warm hug.

And here’s a little message to Connie from the girls:

Susie (on left): “Thank you, Connie!  I love my moose so much he’s never leaving my side.”

Becky: “See what an adorable moose you got us, Connie?  Thank you so much!” 

Mom: “You’re the best, Connie!  And the accompanying books are darling.  We’ll never lack for moose-related materials again!”