Quirky Kid Story
Oh the way home from dinner this evening...
Ethan. (Sticks a toothpick between his front teeth and turns to his mother) Hey! Look at me! I'm one of those.... Um... One of those...
Aaron. (From the backseat, helpfully) ...Idiots?
Carrie. (snaps fingers, is reproachful while stifling a giggle) AJ!
Aaron. Sorry.
Carrie. Ethan, he's sorry. Continue.
Ethan. (glares at his brother) I was just saying, with the toothpick, I look like one of those things.
Carrie. What things?
Ethan. Those things. You know, they're a cross between a whale and a unicorn.
Carrie. What?
Aaron. (helpful again) Oh. On ELF. The cartoon thing. A narwhal.
Ethan. Yeah, the narwhal comes out of the water and says, "Bye Buddy," and Buddy says, "Bye Mr. Narwhal."
Carrie. Is that a real thing? That's not a real thing, surely.
Ethan. (Looks at his mother in shock) Yeeees, it is. Where have you been?
I've seen ELF at least twenty times. Yet evidently, to answer my 12 year-old's question, I've been living in a world where the narwhal did not exist. After Googling, I can determine only that the internet says it's a real thing. But I won't know for sure until I see one for myself. And since underwater creatures aren't really my thing, I'll have to get used to uncertainty.
Ethan. (Sticks a toothpick between his front teeth and turns to his mother) Hey! Look at me! I'm one of those.... Um... One of those...
Aaron. (From the backseat, helpfully) ...Idiots?
Carrie. (snaps fingers, is reproachful while stifling a giggle) AJ!
Aaron. Sorry.
Carrie. Ethan, he's sorry. Continue.
Ethan. (glares at his brother) I was just saying, with the toothpick, I look like one of those things.
Carrie. What things?
Ethan. Those things. You know, they're a cross between a whale and a unicorn.
Carrie. What?
Aaron. (helpful again) Oh. On ELF. The cartoon thing. A narwhal.
Ethan. Yeah, the narwhal comes out of the water and says, "Bye Buddy," and Buddy says, "Bye Mr. Narwhal."
Carrie. Is that a real thing? That's not a real thing, surely.
Ethan. (Looks at his mother in shock) Yeeees, it is. Where have you been?
I've seen ELF at least twenty times. Yet evidently, to answer my 12 year-old's question, I've been living in a world where the narwhal did not exist. After Googling, I can determine only that the internet says it's a real thing. But I won't know for sure until I see one for myself. And since underwater creatures aren't really my thing, I'll have to get used to uncertainty.