The little red furry monster

In June 2004 Honeybear and I took all four girls and we headed east to visit family in Minnesota.  While back “home” we visited the national cemetery to see my father’s grave.   My grandparents (my mother’s parents) are buried not to far away in the same cemetery.

When we went over to pay our respects to my grandparents, my children made a shocking discovery!  Elmo was dead.  I had hysterical children who couldn’t quite make the connection that the little red  furry monster was NOT their great grandfather and therefore Elmo the monster was not dead.

It’s become a family joke of sorts.  This morning, 1 month shy of 8 years since that trip and we have this conversation:

Me to Supergirl: “What’s the name of the first book with Edmund and Lucy?”

Supergirl: <shrugs shoulders> She doesn’t want to say it.

Me: “Is it the tiger, the wizard and the closet?”

Supergirl: <giggles and points to Turtlegirl “You tell her”

Eventually we get her to say the word we want to hear “wardrobe”

Turtlegirl: “Did she just say Woodrow?  The Lion, the Witch and the Woodrow?”

Me: “Woodrow?  The Lion, the Witch and the Grandpa?”

Turtlegirl: “Wasn’t there a Woodrow Wilson?”

Tailorbear: “We have a Woodrow Wilson for a grandpa?”

Me: “No we do not have a Woodrow Wilson for a grandpa but we  do have a Woodrow for a grandpa.  He was granny Elsie’s  husband.”

Tailorbear: “Then who was Elmo?”  [note to my readers: you knew it had to come back to Elmo.]”

Me: “Elmo was Nana’s daddy"

Turtlegirl: “I can’t believe we’re related to a little furry red monster.”