The girls “invented” a new game to play while in the car. The rules are simple. Someone thinks of an animal and everyone takes turns asking yes or no questions until we can guess the animal.

Ellie has played the game dozens of times and convinced us today that she had a rare animal that could potentially stump us all.

After several minutes, narrowing it down;

Is it a farm animal? No.

Is it a zoo animal? No.

Does it live at African Lion Safari? No.

Does it live somewhere cold? Does it have fur? Is it a meat eater?

We determined that it lived in the ocean, was bigger than Chloe but smaller than Daddy. It may or may not have tentacles. It did not have eight legs, it was not a man-eater and did not sting when provoked. She was not willing to rule out the fact that it may or may not have teeth. It was not a mermaid or a swimming unicorn. It was not in any animated movies she had ever seen but that did not preclude the option of it ever being in a cartoon movie or short. We rhymed off every living thing we could think of while Ellie gazed off into space until she finally asked, “Give up?” and we all agreed it was time for her grand unveiling.

“I forget.”