Class Clown

I never knew that a sense of humor could be innate. I've always thought it was something learned through social interactions, or passed down from parents to their children through observation, or perhaps even developed to cope with life's trials. Well, I'm sure it is inspired by those circumstances too, but I now realize that one can be born a comedian. We have a very pensive, thoughtful, but joyful and happy little girl. And we have a very silly little class clown who knows how to find the humor in everyday moments.

I should have known this when I came home from the salon with short hair back in October. Will was about 9 months old. For two days, he laughed each time he looked at me.

But it became undeniably apparent during the past few months. Several weeks ago, I was struggling to get the last few drops of ketchup out of the plastic bottle and onto my veggie burger. I conducted the classic "Shake Then Squirt" procedure and with each attempt the bottle produced a lovely sound that we all liken to someone who has eaten too many beans. It wasn't until the second or third try that I realized Will was laughing each time I did this. Now, we are so accustomed to these types of sounds around this house that they barely warrant a comment, much less a laugh. But Will gave this ketchup bottle a rewarding chuckle and then topped it with his own rendition of the sound: "Fffpptt!" At which point, he exploded with giggles and proceeded to entertain himself in this fashion for a good 10 minutes.

Fast forward a few weeks. Last night at dinner, the dog belched. There was a pause in conversation while Adam, Bella, and I were enjoying bites of teriyaki chicken and Will was silently staring at his - a pause just long enough to hear the very audible burp emanate from our large Collie/German Shepherd canine. Will gave a little chuckle, thought for a moment, and then lowered his voice to a near growl and said "Errrruupppp!" His whole face lit up and he erupted with laughter. This of course spread to everyone else at the table, which delighted Will to no end. The rest of the meal was spent laughing at Will who was laughing at himself after successfully imitating the very amusing dog burp.

Could this be a trait exclusive to boys? Maybe. But it seems more like he was reveling in his ability to so closely mimic a strange sound than to produce one that resembled the more embarrassing of bodily functions. For now he is certainly young enough to get away with it. It's a good thing, because we all love being witness to his wonderful sense of humor.