Laughing With (at) My Daughters

Fun Monday 's theme is Kid's Say the Darndest Things (or your pet does the darndest thing, whichever) and Karisma (Karisma & Kids) is the party hostess.

Our daughters were no exception to making us and others smile. I decided to share a moment from each of my now grown up girls. (There are many more moments somewhere locked in my mind - but these are the ones that surfaced first.)

(1)
Once upon a time when Amanda was still a little Cakers.....

I was driving home in my little yellow bug one evening when Amanda leaned forward and asked (with her five -year old raspy voice) one of those philosophical questions.

“Mama? Is there an end to the world?"

Karmyn, was in the passenger seat and her spreading smirk told me that she (the teenage smarty pants) was going to enjoy listening to my response to this one.

“Well….!” I spoke slowly, to garner time. “There are people who think that the world will end in fire, and others who think the world will end frozen in an ice-age and blah blah blah……”

I rambled on for another minute.

“No mom!!” Amanda started bouncing on the back seat with enough frustration to make the Volkswagen jerk a little.

Her impatience with my response could be heard in the delivery of part two. Louder, with a bit of dramatic emphasis, she demanded,

“Don’t you ever just drive past the last house, and that’s the end of the world?”

* * * * *

(2)

Then there was the middle child.

We took a trip to see my brother who lives on a peninsula overlooking Hood Canal (in Puget Sound) where the roads cut through the dense growth of massive firs and cedars. It's a gorgeous area that smells green and woodsy.

It must have been overwhelming for a three-year old who was accustomed to rolling hills and trees planted in yards and along the sidewalks in careful design.

As we drove through the deep shadows of the sky sweeping giants Jenni whispered uneasily, “Mommy, is this the forest?”

I answered in the affirmative.

With a very soft voice she wondered aloud......

“Why did they build it so close to the road?”

* * * * *

(3) The eldest

Karmyn was a few months shy of seven when we moved across the fence from Megan, who was the same age. The girls became inseparable that first year, so WR made a gate for the girls to pass through the tall cedar barrier.

Late one afternoon Karmyn bounced into the kitchen as she often did at dinner time to see what was cooking. I noted that she ran to the sliding back door and divulged the menu to Megan. Megan made a dash through the back gate. Apparently they were going to figure out which house had the better fare, then weasel an invite.

"We’re having spaghetti!” Megan announced when she reappeared.

"Again?” Karmyn almost sounded upset. “You’re mom fixes that all the time. Are you Italian?”

Megan put her hands on her hips and proudly declared, “No, we aren’t Italian. My parents came from Pennsylvania!”

With a quick intake of breath, and that little “whhhhooo” sound on the way out that emphasizes amazement, Karmyn gasped

“Pe-e-e-e-e-e-ennnnnnnsylva-a-a-a-a-nia? Did your parents know Dracula?”

* * * * *

As much as I enjoyed the last one, the rest of that story is probably what cemented it into my mind all these years.

The following morning I shared it at the office staff meeting. My co-workers erupted in guffaws and giggles, including Hoyt. He was the one person that never seemed to understand jokes or humorous banter. I considered him socially inept in many ways, and wondered how he could possibly interact with our investment clients in a positive way.

Later in the afternoon I walked down the hall only to hear Hoyt call out my name. “Hey, Pam?”

As I stepped back to his office door, Hoyt leaned back in his swivel executive chair.

“Ha, Ha, Ha,” he spat. These weird fake laughs characterized the beginning of many of his odd conversations.

“I was thinking about your daughter and her friend and Dracula.”

I probably shook my head up and down.Mostly I just remember standing there thinking he was such a doofus. (Well, he was.)

“Hmmmmph,” he said, followed by more forced Ha, Ha, Ha-s.

“Here I am - 37 years old - and I didn’t know that Dracula came from Pennsylvania.

He was serious!

With a forced straight face, I informed him that Dracula was actually a resident of Transylvania.

“My daughter just got her Sylvanias mixed up,” I explained.

“Oh!” He looked somewhat relieved, then ended our short discourse with,

“Ha, Ha, Ha.”


Please visit KARISMA and sign up to share some of your family stories. Or, just enjoy reading the other participants and their FUN MONDAY posts.

Comments

karisma said…
LOL! I know few of those doofus types too, they are always good for a laugh. All cute stories, loved the forest one. Thanx for joining in. Hugs xxxxx
LadyStyx said…
Oh goodness!! Thanks for the laughs. These were great!
Jenni said…
What great stories! I especially loved, "She just got her Sylvanias mixed up."
Peter said…
Great stories Pamela, and Hoyt added the icing to the cake.
grammy said…
Funny. Don't you wish you wrote all those things they said down. I remember some, but not all. I still have a post up about my granddaughter having a bug on her nickel...which turned out to be her knuckle (o:
Kim said…
Those are all so cute. My mama told one today about me. There was something about Daddy and a friend working Hereford cattle, a drive with my pregnant mother and her very proper friend across the county past Hereford cattle and me, at two, calling those cattle by the name Daddy and his friend used. The initials of that name are S. O. B.

The part my mother found humorous today was my husband's comment: "Well, that set the stage for her use of language, huh?"
Wendster said…
Totally funny. Past the last house. HA!
At our house this was the recurring funny:
What follows a werewolf everywhere he goes?
Hannah(8) His shadow?
Becca (6) His tail?
Rob (4) A pig?

Now whenever we don't know the punch line, it's a given that we will say: "A pig?"

Correct answer (I think ... who remembers?): The Moon

p.s. Glad you are enjoying my playlist! I hope you've listened to Edward's Lullabye. I love that one.
kitten said…
LOL! What cute memories!
Debbie said…
Laughed out loud at these ones. Too too funny.

I just love how kids think.
Sayre said…
I wonder what real estate at the end of the world is going for???

Those were great. This one absolutely stumped me - my son says and does a lot of funny things but I never remember when asked. Just like I don't remember jokes. I have to write stuff down to remember it - and only sometimes do I get that far.
Tiggerlane said…
I'm still waiting with anticipation to see whose house Karmyn ended up at for dinner...
Alta said…
I love the end of the world! The last house. Funny, I never thought of it that way but now that I think about it...I like it.
Karmyn R said…
I remember the first one well....and I still have a fascination with Dracula.

Oh - and my w.v is Fangdora - hahahhahaha
Gattina said…
Hahaha ! children make the best "jokes" without making them ! I don't like jokes, but children sayings are marvelous. I have to tell everybody that Dracula came actually from Pensylvania ! I really learn something new every day, lol !
Living Life said…
I loved all your stories. BTW, news flash - I didn't know Karmyn was your daughter! Happy FM!
I love these stories!!! Kid stories are the best!
Rayne said…
All of these are just so sweet and funny.
Hoyt is a bit of an odd duck isn't he?
Do you think there would be a sign after the last house? Or maybe at the head of the road? Sort of like a 'dead end' sign but more serious.
Diane said…
Too funny. Reminds me of the Bill Cosby show a couple years ago - the remake of Kids Say The Darndest Things I think it was called.
Helene said…
hehehe very cute! You are a great story teller too!
Unknown said…
How do you remember all these cute things? I know my kids always said funny things but I can only remember a handful!

You daughters kept you in stitches but that co-worker sounds like something else. :)
Anonymous said…
They are all great, but I like middle daughter's story about the forest best. Thanks for sharing them!
Merle said…
Dear Pamela ~~ I enjoyed all the stories of the girls. Poor Hoyt. I also enjoyed the phone call from Buttercup. Too funny, have to eat him. Glad you liked the Men's rules
and the jokes. I am sorry your hubby was so sick and hope you didn't catch the bug. Take care,
Love, Merle.
Junebug said…
Ah, the middle child wondering why those trees were built so close to the road was my favorite!
Desert Songbird said…
I'm totally going to razz Karmyn about this one...
Oh what a treat! Great stories you have here today..I loved them all! Thanks for sharing1 :)

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