My blog has felt a little bleak recently. I can’t help it. I’m more busy than usual, and my mind is preoccupied with lots of stuff to do. I’m counting on the fact that things will settle down in the next couple of weeks and we’ll be able to fall into a joyful summer routine (a.k.a. a strategy that keeps us occupied enough so that I don’t harm my children).

So, a couple funny things in the last few days. I was driving the boys to the primary activity on Saturday (which, by the way, turned out really great I thought. Your ideas you shared triggered ideas of things I could do with the materials we had on hand, and the kids all had a fun time.), Clark blurted out from the back seat:

“Mom! I saw something on TV that daddy’s really going to want, but it’s too, too expensive.”
“Really? What was it?”
“It’s this thing that if you put it under your knees and bend around, it makes your fat turn into skinny!”
“Wow. (stifling snorts) That sounds really cool.”
“Yeah, when you twist, your fat falls off. But it’s too expensive even though daddy would really like it. It’s in the double digits, mom.”

I’m just glad he pegged Matt for it instead of me, because I wouldn’t be laughing.

I pulled this out of an old blog file and wanted to share it because I’m curious what keeps you laughing with your kids.

Elder Boyd K. Packer said, “Find happiness in ordinary things, and keep your sense of humor.”  My husband works full time and goes to law school at night, so I don’t get as much adult conversation as I would like.  Sometimes things happen during the day that I need to laugh about, so I have to call him or call my sister just so I can give my punch line and hear someone laugh.  And sometimes I just laugh to myself.  And on the days that you’re missing a little well-needed laughter in your life, here are a few suggestions that have worked for me:

1. Tickling.  Nothing can break up a kid’s boo-hoo moment like a good tickle.

2. Rhyming.  Sometimes at lunch while the kids are eating, every time they say something, I will make up a funny phrase that rhymes with what they said.  They think I’m very clever (and I am).  “Mom, can I have a drink?”  “Clark, will you eat the sink?”

3. Rule vacation.  Occasionally, I’ll let the “no jumping on the bed rule” slide, but I pretend like I’m kind of mad about it so I chase them around the bed and try to knock their feet out from under them and they flop on the bed.  They think this is hilarious because they relish their temporary naughtiness.

4. Self-adulating jokes.  While you’re driving in the parking lot, say: “Lean forward if you think mom is cool!,” and then slam on the brakes.

5. Be stupid.  Apparently, for a 4-year old, it’s a real gut-buster if your mom sings the lyrics wrong to a song you know.  “Row, row, row your boat gently down the toilet paper aisle…”

6. Maybe it’s just my kids, but they absolutely love to see pictures of themselves, so sometimes we’ll take lots of pictures of them making funny faces and they die laughing when they check them out on the computer.  (Mac’s program Photo Booth is awesome for this.)

Don’t get me wrong, I’m no holly-jolly-happy mom with a constant twinkle in my eye. There are plenty of days that I’m in such a bad mood, an army of circus clowns couldn’t chisel a smile on my face if they tried, but it’s nice to have a few strategies in place.  What works for you when you need a good laugh?

(p.s. I got released as the Primary president the same day as the activity.  I got called as a counselor in the Stake Young Women’s presidency.  How’s that for a good laugh?)