Passing It On...

Yesterday, I wrote about our beautiful dog, Zoe. I was so emotional by the time I was done that I began getting strange looks from my family. I went on to tell them -- think high-pitched, funny, crying voice -- how I don't understand why society doesn't allow pet owners to grieve. I can't comprehend acting as if nothing major has happened to us after losing our beloved family pet. She's actually more than a pet. She is a living, speaking, working member of our family (how's that TBF? she has a job!) Of course, it's all in our imagination, but this persona is with us always, even when she is not. This persona will continue to be in our lives forever and, I suppose, so will she. The talking Zoe was originally able to channel herself into look-alike dogs. Now, she becomes every animal we see. Whether it is a toy on a store shelf, a seal at the zoo, or a wildebeest on the Discovery Channel, the boys are always greeted with a robust "Hellllooo Child!" which the entire surrounding crowd can easily hear. This quickly became something that our 6-year-old son has picked up on. Imagine our sense of pride when, yesterday, in the middle of the movie theater, he began speaking like Zoe. The best part was the big fanged animal's "Zoe voice" had a severe lisp due to the large teeth in it's mouth.

It is fun to watch your children getting older and becoming more aware of their sense of humor. I see the boys saying things then looking directly to their father for his humor approval. (I do this as well but never get the approval. I have learned to just state that what I said was funny and that it deserved a laugh.) In our house, there is a lot of teasing -- and whining over the teasing -- but mostly there is a lot of laughter. It is really great seeing the humor being passed on to the next generation.