Can you call an elephant?

Ellie can. Surprisingly, it's her first animal noise.

As I mentioned in a prior post, her favorite tv program is "Jack's Big Music Show." Sadly, I can't find a clip pertaining to the episode in question so I'll summarize for you (since I know you're anxiously waiting to know where I'm going with this):

Jack, Mary and Mel learn that Laurie Berkner will stop by the clubhouse to sing a song with them. However, in preparation for the big song, she has asked that they have three things ready upon her arrival: a bird, a sheep and an elephant. Unable to summon these animals on their own, Jack and Mary learn that Mel has created an "animal-caller-thingy." Using Mel's invention they successfully call a bird and a sheep; but, unfortunately, the elephant call is "on the fritz." That's when the Schwartzman Quartet stops by with a solution captured in a song: "...you can call for a this, you can call for a that; you can call for your cane and you can call for your hat; but you can't call an elephant, you can't call an elephant, without an elephant call...." Their musical wisdom prompts Jack, Mary, the bird and the sheep to begin making elephant calls of their own (Mel is busy trying to fix his invention with the assistance of the monkeys that responded to his broken elephant call). This, you'll be glad to know, is how Ellie learned how to make an elephant noise.

We've seen this episode countless times (as you parents know), and EM and I will usually play along for Ellie's sake, so I know she's heard these noises from us (and Jack, et al) countless times. Anyhow, Nanny was watching Ellie the other day and they were watching this particular episode of Jack when... bam... Ellie made the elephant noise (I don't believe Nanny was aware of any of what I just wrote so this was all quite unexpected). Nanny then tells EM and EM tells me, so first chance we get we quiz Ellie and sure enough... she makes the elephant call, and she has continued to do so over the last couple of days (sometimes she even throws in the arm-as-an-elephant-trunk-gesture).

It's funny. You'd think, with us having Spunky and Q, she'd bark; or, maybe, with her rubber ducky themed baths, she'd quack; but, no, our daughter chooses this. I guess, though, it is in keeping with some of her other quirks - her first favorite toy, Mr. Boogs, and habitually pooping under the table (a post for another day). She really ceases to amaze me. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

-ED

PS - For those of you interested in the outcome of Jack: The gang's attempts at an elephant call fail, but then they wonder if using a musical instrument might work instead. To that end, they try a kazoo and a whistle, without success, before they come across a trumpet. Thankfully, the trumpet works and the elephant arrives just before Laurie does. The song goes off without a hitch: "...I was walking through the park on a beautiful day; I saw a little elephant who was looking my way; now elephants can't talk but they sure can sing; that elephant had an elephanty rhythm...." The End.