For Your Soul
Attention dear offspring
Pranks are in the offing
Revenge or retaliate only
If you can make someone’s
Laughter ring.
For if you must say
Oh I was just joking
Or kidding, because no one was
Laughing, then you have
Set yourself as the fool.
~Caitlin Mallery
For Your Eyes
Having a sense of humor is an important part of being a parent, but you also have to learn the art of keeping a straight face when your child is funny, but they are dead serious. It’s a balancing act, teaching them the appropriate time and place for jokes, and dealing with serious situations (which seem trivial to an adult.)
During spring break the kids and I played a lot of games, including the Mad Libs Game, this version of Pictionary, Uno with all the reverse cards missing (apparently it’s a thing in middle school to dole out Uno reverse cards to your friends), and Quidditch.
I have also been trying my hand at the New York Times Games app, which my kids like to challenge themselves with.
For Your Ears
Nothing like silly songs to brighten a rough day. My younger son has a playlist with several, including Raining Tacos, One Piece at a Time song, and others.
For Your Taste Buds
Not all pranks need to be nasty. For instance, I love making a beetroot chocolate cake for hiding vegetables.
For Your Nose
Having a garden and living in the country isn’t all a bed of roses. There is fertilizer involved and not the manufactured kind. More of the bovine-produced kind.
Of course, fart humor is a normal part of having children. So hold your breath and let the jokes rip.
For Your Body
Fart jokes aside, it is important to keep your gut healthy. Having experience in the medical field I know some things that I hope to avoid - bowel obstructions, kidney infections (which I have had), etc. I know how to make a poop-inducing cocktail, known as The Brown Cow. Whether we use fancy or euphemistic terms for defecating, the fact is we all do it, so we may as well take care of our needs with good food, and meds when needed!