The Scary Mox

I thought Gabi had finally fallen asleep, but just as I was about to get up to leave her room, she excitedly turned over.

Gabi: Mom, box and mox, they rhyme!

As mentioned before, Gabi's very into rhyming lately. Only now she has the hang of it.

Me: Yes! Yes they do! But what is a mox?

Since every word she uses to rhyme with starts with an m (orange/morange, paper/maper, ottoman/mottoman), I thought she knew that mox wasn't a real word. And what better way to get the creative juices flowing than to have her make up a definition!

Gabi, getting very serious: Oh, I don't know. Oh NO! What is a mox?

Me: I don't know either! Is it something scary?

See, still trying to get her to make something up. But why oh why did I go there? What was I thinking to say something like that?

Gabi, now upset: NO! I mean, I don't know! I don't want it to be scary!

Me, realizing the error of my ways: Oh, I'm sorry honey, I'm sure it's not!

Gabi: But what is a mox?

Me: Don't worry, we'll ask Grandma tomorrow, since she knows lots of words.

That's what I do when I don't have a quick answer. I pawn it off on Grandma.

Gabi was able to roll over and go to sleep without too much more ado. But, yeah, no more mentioning scary things at bedtime. And I REALLY hope I didn't ruin her love for rhyming.