..."a spoonful of chuckles..."

The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.  ~E.E. Cummings

Maturity is a bitter disappointment for which no remedy exists, unless laughter can be said to remedy anything.  ~Kurt Vonnegut

Now that I am 3 dozen years-old, I realized that I shouldn't take myself too seriously.  Our bodies need to laugh, chuckle, giggle and grin...

Without laughter, our bodies crave the the endorphins they are deficient in ...

This past school year, I felt myself nagging, and yelling and being the bad guy.  I didn't like it, I hated how it made me feel, I was developing a crevice in between my eyebrows from scowling.  I decided then, that life is too short to be spent is the land and persona of Oscar the Grouch.

I decided to make a few alterations in life. I began recording episodes of "The Office" on TBS. I began chuckling at and with Michael Scott and his co-workers.

I started googling and reading a knock knock joke each day.... and reading them with my boys.

I used to give my former students 'brain food" in the form of Laffy-Taffy... with a great joke on every wrapper.... their Aunt Amy has even taken to emailing them her Laffy-Taffy finds.

My boys have gotten into the joke thing.  They love telling me new ones they have heard, recently this joke came home... "What did the bacon say to the egg? You crack me up!"

On my birthday I donned a pink tutu and a pink gerbera daisy in my hair. A college friend sells them at
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephanies-Wonderland/267167410373

My friends took me to lunch at the golf course... and I showed up in the tutu.

It was so fun to be wacky.  My boys told me how pretty I looked.  I think they enjoyed giggling AT me.

The following day was Celebrate Reading Day at my boys school. My oldest son got to dress as his favorite book character.  He chose karate Flat Stanley, sporting his karate gi.  I was invited to be one of the many guest readers for the day.  At drop off in the morning, I was inspired by my son's teacher, dressed as Ms. Frizzle from the Magic School Bus books.  I decided I too, HAD to dress up.  To have fun, to giggle, to be like a third grader.

I wanted to go as Fern from "Charlotte's Web."  My youngest son loves miniature things.... I went to his  baskets of mini's looking for a spider ring I was sure had been in a Halloween goodie bag from our auntie.  I found many things: an armadillo, knights, pirates, a jaguar, army guys.... but no spider.

I had to change courses.... in college I had to compile a learning portfolio, and included "Ramona, age 8" by Beverly Clearly, as a book that changed my feelings about reading.

So I took out an old t-shirt and Sharpie'd "Ramona, age 8".... dressed in the pink tutu, a pink argyle and a teal polka-dotted sock.... turquoise Mary Jane's... a purple gingham scarf as a belt, bright necklaces... a bracelet my youngest had created in preK out of a pipe cleaner & pony beads.... and two pig tails, one with the pink gerbera daisy, and one with a green dotted ribbon.

When I arrived at the school office to sign in, the secretary laughed, asking if my oldest would be embarrassed to see me?

This is what I love about my eldest.... when it was my turn to enter the classroom to read, he ran up to me, threw his arms around me, and said, "Mom, you look cute! Thanks for coming to read to us!"

I first read The Dreamer by Cynthia Rylant, and second I read one of her Henry & Mudge books, Henry & Mudge & the Tall Treehouse.

In the story The Dreamer, Rylant talks about a young artist who was bored, so He created a star.  The illustration showing hands cutting a star out of paper. Next the artist molds a blob of clay into an earth, full of ridges and boulders.... next He created blue water to cover the earth....

The story continues, the young artist creating green grass, whales to navigate the turquoise waters, and humans.  The second to the last page says that the artist has always called the humans his children... and they in turn have always called him.... God.

This story was a graduation gift from a friend I student taught with in 1997.  Such a great tale, re-penned by an award winning-outstanding-author... to look at the creation of our earth, and us... from a child-like perspective.

So.... when was the last time you enjoyed a child like tale?  When was the last time you told a knock-knock joke?  When was the last time you laughed... a deep belly laugh, from the depths of your soul?

I am glad I have stopped taking myself too seriously.... glad I am sharing laughter with my sons.... glad I will not waste my days away... for my sons and I have joy in our hearts.