How Do You Like Your Eggs (funny little story from Norway)

Mornings in our household are just like any other household with small children, chaos. This morning was no exception. Eliane comes bouncing downstairs with a hairdo rivaling Tina Turner from the 1980´s. Esten, my speedy guy, was up and eating breakfast in no time. And Erling Jr, the slowest of all pokes, takes his sweet time about finding his place at the table. Just like clockwork, in the middle of his cereal, Esten decides to pay a visit to the bathroom. Along the way, he was distracted by something he saw outside the window. Hysterically, he begins pointing and yelling.

Esten: Mom! An EGG!

No one paid attention to Esten. Not even me. We have had an incredible amount of snow this year, and I have already noticed the egg looking snow sculptures that have accumulated on top of each flower-pot on the veranda.
Esten (yelling louder): Mom! EGG!

Me: Yes Esten, I know. Please hurry, you need to get dressed.

Eliane finishes her breakfast, runs upstairs, then returns with various hair gadgets for me to attempt to tame her hair. Jr  manages to clear his breakfast dishes and disappears to get dressed. I make lunches, and get Ellie out the door. Jr begins packing his backpack once I tell him to get off the computer, and that is when I notice Esten, still in his underwear, hypnotized by the damn snow-eggs outside.
I calmly walk to him and grab the small hairs on the back of his neck. And I say, through clenched teeth,`Esten it is time to get dressed.´

Esten gently takes my hand from behind his neck and responds through equally clenched teeth,` Mama, there is an egg outside, and I am not going to school until you see it!´

A groan of frustration escapes my throat,  I roll my eyes and surrender.  Esten leads me to the window. I peer out across our snow covered lawn, fog as thick as pea soup, and when my eyes focus, I see a moose! In our down-town back yard, a huge moose! I scream out in surprise and scramble to find a camera. Esten, dancing a dance of satisfaction in his underwear says, `See I told you there is an egg out there!!!!´

Me: Esten, You said egg! Why didn´t you say moose!?
Esten: Mama, Moose in Norwegian, is egg!
Me: No it isn´t! Moose in Norwegian, is elg!
That´s when I was reminded of being a foreigner. Things are not always what I think I hear. Moose=Elg, and with an American accent, it sounds like `ellg´.  However, Esten pronounced it with a thick almost silent`L´, the way any proper Norwegian would.  I apologize to my little man and give him a hug before rushing him off to get ready. But in my mind, I clearly heard egg.

I couldn´t find the camera fast enough, but managed a blurry shot with my phone as our breakfast guest wandered over to the neighbor´s yard.  What an unforgettable morning! Today, my eggs came with a side of moose and a hug from Esten! How about yours?

Goodness and Grit: http://pressingforward.blog.com