Can't stop laughing

02.12.08

My 4 year old said something today that has me dissolving into giggles every time I hit the rewind button in my mind.  I even started shaking with laughter during cuddle time, which is quiet, low key, relax the child into sleep time, but remembering her exact words cracked me up all over again.

 

 I had no idea I was raising a proper little DFL-er, and the moment was just hysterical.

 On the way to McDonald’s Playland, my daughter announces that she has to "go really, really bad."

 

We had left the house, gone to the gas station, and gone back to the house, all within the last 10 minutes, but she only realized she has to "go really, really bad" once we got on the bridge that carries us from one state to another across a lot of water.

 

Daddy's shop is the next closest bathroom.  Her opinion of stopping at the shop to go potty is something like this... "I don't like the bathroom at Daddy's shop.  I only like the office.  And the workers."

 

I park next to a tow truck that has my husband’s name and logo across the door.

 

My little girl calls out, "That's my daddy," in a song-song voice, and then adds, in a public service announcement type of monotone, "Dave's Towing, where the workers come first."

 

I died.  I laughed so hard I was having bladder spasms myself.  I was still laughing as we walked into the shop.  Where on earth did she hear such a thing?  Wait, I mean, not that the guys (and the secretary) aren’t appreciated.  They work hard, and being on call 24/7 is not exactly a joy.  I know from experience that the phone can be quiet right up until the minute you sit down at a restaurant and order food.  Then DPD needs you in 20 minutes or less.

 

Of course, compared to the boss in the book I’m reading (The Devil Wears Prada, by Lauren Weisberger) my husband is a jewel of a boss.  Uh-huh.  I’m sure that’s what the workers were thinking when they hired my 4 year old to organize their union.  This has something to do with last week’s staff meeting, right? 

 

As we head to the bathroom one of those prize workers calls out, "You don't want to go in there right now."

 

Oops, there I go giggling again.  The daughter is finally tired of not getting the joke, and says, “Why are you laughing, Mom?” and that almost makes it worse.  We’re both going to wet ourselves. 

 

“Where did you hear ‘the workers come first’?” I ask her.  Usually I have a pretty good clue where she picks this stuff up, but this time I was clueless.  I can’t imagine that she’s somehow gotten involved with the Teamsters.

 

“From Dr. Suzi,” she says, “Only she says ‘where the patients come first.’  I changed it.”

 

Flash back to this morning when she said, “Kiss my ring,” – I think that was a Rugrats episode, as well.  Whew.  I thought she’d been watching something wildly inappropriate.  Remembering how just yesterday she asked, “Mom, are gown up shows on all night?” which gave me a panic moment of wondering exactly what late-night channel she might have caught a glimpse of. 

 

It’s funny how you like to think you know everything they are exposed to and exactly what goes on in their little heads.  But as they get older and learn more you lose track of what they know.   And eventually you realize that you probably will never know what goes on inside their heads.  For now, she’s perfectly happy to tell me, thank goodness, because otherwise I’d be perpetually confused.  And I imagine there will come a time (about ten years from now) when she won’t share what she’s thinking quite so easily.  But I hope not. 

 

I suppose my chances will be better if I figure out how to stop laughing, but she’s so funny I’m not sure I’ll ever manage it.  Among all the challenges of being a mom there certainly are some powerful gems.  The gift of supreme amusement and laughter not the least of them.

 

Sometimes laughter really is the best medicine.