The "Straight Man" Mom

You know how in great comedy, there's always a "straight man." The one who really isn't funny, but makes the funny one funny?

For example, Laurel and Hardy:



Or the Jon Cryer character to Charlie Sheen's character on Two and Half Men:


Well, I'm that mom. I've never been particularly funny. Oh sure, I get a few laughs when I'm being self-depricating, but that doesn't really count. My own husband claims that when I try to be funny, crickets chirp. Whatever!

My son, Collin, on the other hand is hysterical. Well, correction, he is hysterical to himself. He seriously has one of the nuttiest senses of humor I've ever seen. I know part of it is probably being 2 and a half, but since he comes from two "unfunny" parents, I find it bewildering that he is a crack up. For example, he thought moving this cone at the pumpkin patch was hysterically funny:



Some things lately that I thought I should catalog that he thinks are funny:

1)Asking me what things are that he already knows the answer to. For example Collin says, "What's that?" pointing to a pumpkin. I turn it around (as all good parents should do) and say, "What do you think it is?" Collin replies, "It's a pumpkin!" followed by fits of giggles. Personally, I don't get the joke, but he does this all day long inserting different objects.

2) Telling me the wrong answer on purpose. I ask Collin, "What shape is that doorknob?" Collin says, "It's a trapezoid!" followed by fits of giggles. (I know you're thinking that's kind of an advanced shape for a kid his age, but he just learned it at preschool from a puzzle he was playing with!) I say, "No, it's a circle!" Again more giggles. I suppose this is a variation on the humor of the previous game, but again I don't really get it.

3) Laughing hysterically when I tell him to stop running. Now I realize this one could get out of hand when I really do want or need him to stop and trust me I'm trying to buckle down on the discipline of it, but it does kind of crack me up when he thinks I'm chasing him and he's shrieking with delight.

4) Saying certain words. Collin has what we call a "word of the day," that he chooses to be his funny word. Anytime it is said or he says it, he laughs hysterically. It could be a fun word to say like "zipper" or "trapezoid," but often it is just a normal run of the mill word that for whatever reason he finds hilarious.

5) Hiding from us in the house (in very obvious places, mind you) and then shrieking, "Where's Collin???!!" Like his voice isn't a dead giveaway. Again, the giggle fit follows.

I could seriously go on for days writing about his funny antics. I'm definitely glad he has a sense of humor. And I do love the sound of those giggle fits. But I do often wonder why he thinks certain things are funny, as I'm sure most parents do about their toddlers as well. So, go ahead, post about your favorite comedic kid moment. I'd love to hear about them.