Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Walk Softly and Carry a Big Schtick

Few will argue that one of the most important traits you should nourish in your children is a sense of humor.  I have always tried to encourage this in my kids.  They are now approaching the ages when their sense of humor matures beyond the obvious kid-based fare (toilet sounds, toilet words, etc) to more evolved content.

The other day I was getting the children prepared for bed.  Brooke can be a bit lazy when it comes to picking out pyjamas.  More often than not, her version of PJ's ends up being a piece of clothing (usually the shirt) that she has worn all day, and some pyjama bottoms added.  Sometimes she just takes off her socks and tries to get away with going to bed like that.  On this night, she decides that she will wear old sweat pants with a hole in the leg and a pyjama top.  I tell her that she should not wear those pants outside the house any more, because she would look like a hobo.  I use that word alot when chastising my kids for a dishevelled appearance. ("Did you brush your teeth?" "No." "Y'know hobos don't brush their teeth either, maybe you should be a hobo.", etc)

When I was a kid, I would be called a street urchin under the same circumstance.  I never really knew what a street urchin was, I just knew it was bad.  It didn't have a physical form in my mind.  And because that was my view, I always kinda thought that my kids had the same limited vision of hobos.  Not so.

Brooke's initial response was "I am NOT a hobo. Of course I wont wear these to school."  This is predictable.  Mitch on the other hand, comes storming into the bedroom wearing a wife-beater and underwear proclaiming "I want to be a hobo!, I could be a hobo."

Now frustrated by losing the limelight and being challenged for her attire, storms out of the room huffing, "Then go grow a beard...and....get a harmonica!"
Stomp, stomp, stomp, back to her room. And adding:
"...and a can with FIRE IN IT!"
*Slam*
Then. On the other side of her door. Giggling.

We all had a good laugh over that.  I never really thought that the kids had an image in their head of an actual hobo.  And the timing and delivery of Brooke's retort was just perfect.

In re-reading this, I see that the content is you-had-to-be-there ish.  Too bad you weren't there.