Family Funnies

Randy was headed out on his way to work when I stopped him and pointed to the label of his t-shirt under his chin. "The mean kids will make fun of you." "Backwards and inside out?" he laughed.

Nora's name for the elaborate landscape of tiny plastic ponies, stuffed animals, princess dolls, their furniture, cars, garages and accessories that she has arranged on the floor of her bedroom? The World of Happiness.

One day last week I dropped Mia's lunchbag from the armful of KidCrap I was hauling in from the car after school and it stayed outside on the deck all night. The next day I noticed it, now with two little holes, gnawed right through the plastic zipper. I delayed telling Mia about it until we were actually in front of the display of BPA- and lead-free bento boxes at Healthy Green Goods. Was she disappointed? Of course. But not because she was sad that her old butterfly bag was ruined. She just wanted to see the mouse holes.

Randy was walking around all day feeling the beginnings of a blister on his heel. He checked his shoe and found nothing. It wasn't until he got home and took off his sock that he found the culprit - a sticky-backed googly eye.