Has Parenthood Changed Your Sense of Humor?

It's changed mine in that I'm more aware of what I find funny as I see DuckyBoy get jokes that I'm not sure he'll get, or explain ones he doesn't and watch the light dawn.

I also notice there are certain things I don't find as funny -- cringe-worthy topics --as a parent and just as I get older, I guess.

I also sometimes have to NOT laugh at things I (sigh) have to send the Responsible Adult message about. Fortunately, Husband and I can usually take turns being the Serious One and the Snickerer.

Our latest favorite joke is from a recent Reader's Digest:

A guy is really lonely, so he gets a pet centipede and a little box to keep him in.

One night the guy says to his new pet, "Hey, do you want to go get a bite to eat with me?"

No answer.

After a couple of minutes he asks again: "Are you up for going out to eat?"

Nothing.

He waits a few minutes more and then shouts, "Hey, do you want to hang out or what?!"

A little voice says irritably from inside the box, "I heard you the first time. I'm putting on my shoes."

(Badda-bumm.)

Working from Home: LOL

Here's one of our MOCA speakers, Kathy Mallary, talking to us about how people generally work on big projects: "They leave the stuff for later and pretty soon they've got a big pile of hard..."


Here's my favorite exchange from the telesummit so far:

Husband: "Paulette, can I ask a question?"
Paulette Ensign: "Sure. You just did!"
Husband: [Recovers his composure] "I love you, Paulette..."
Paulette: "I love you too!"

The Jig Is Up, Easter Bunny

DuckyBoy in the seasonal aisle at CVS this afternoon:

"Hey! This is all the same stuff the Easter Bunny brings!"

Words of Wisdom for the Day

"Never go with a hippie to a second location."
-Alec Baldwin (his character), 30 Rock
How have I not been watching this show? It's hysterical!

and then there's this, from Sharon at Motherhood: The Ultimate Survivor:
"It’s not that I don't care and I’m not trying to keep it all together. It's just that I'm trying harder to keep it all from falling apart."
I read her whole post Our Messy House and laughed so hard I cried. My favorite part was the faces on the acorns, because that sounds like me.

Tricky Kid

DuckyBoy's latest funny attempt to trick us:

No DB, I can't carry you.
That's OK, just pick me up.
After being picked up: OK, now walk!

Teaching DuckyBoy

Yesterday was host to a couple of little-yet-big conversations.

On the way out the door, for some reason DB asked me if one of his friends was Christian. I said no, and he said, “So she doesn’t believe in God?”

I said, Well, I think her parents were raised going to church, so they may believe in God, but I don’t know what they tell X. And then, because I know how deeply he listens sometimes, I went on, They may believe in God but not church.

Now, this whole conversation is in the hallway of our apartment building as we’re heading out to the playground, which I find funny for some reason…

Anyway, I said, Sometimes people in church are mean to each other, just like not in church. But the thing is, it’s worse when people in church are mean, because there they are in church learning all about love and caring for each other! And I left him with that. Because I just don’t know what he’ll remember or what he’ll do, what God’s plan are for him someday.

Then at the playground DB was pushing past some teenagers to get to the rings; I was like, Dude, you gotta be nice to the bigger kids, otherwise when you get big enough, they’ll remember you as the annoying twerp and beat you up! So, I know he takes me literally and I want to give him helpful advice, so I said: If you’re going to be bossy, you’ve got to be one of two things: fast, or funny. Of course, he asked why, so I explained. He picked fast, then decided he wanted to be both – he’s going to tell them jokes AS he runs away!! For the age of 5, I’m satisfied.

Note from the Toys

Dear DuckyBoy,

We didn't know that your being in kindergarten would mean we don't get played with so much. One day, it was a given that at least some of us would be out and about, getting some play, as it were. Now? Your homework isn't that hard, we know. And since you get it a week at a time, Mommy manages your time pretty well around the swim lesson and other stuff so you don't get stuck with a lot each night. But still. It requires time to be managed.

Between that and the hour on the bus, well, that just seems like time wasted. Why doesn't Mommy come get you so you could play with us during that time? Doesn't she love us any more?

Signed,
The Little People
and
The Thomas Trains

** Warning: Haiku Ahead **

The toys sit and sigh
waiting for their time to come
when their boy can play.