Humor its not in the punch line..

"Why did the Flower talk?"  spouts the voice from the back seat with a hint of anticipation.. "I don't know Ittie.. Why did the flower talk"    " Because there was a walnut behind the TREEEEE.. "burst from her mouth filling the whole van with giggles afterward.   Very pleased with her joke , she then asks me to practice it so I can share with Harriet.  Giggling each time, because she has invented her own piece of humor.    While the punch line may be a bit off.. the idea and the fantastic bit of imagination that is before me as Ittie develops and tries out humor is amazing.

My family at the Sunday meal had to sit through many a joke like this.  My subject was usually alligators. Why did the alligator smile? .. Why Mert (my nickname from my grandmother) because  he had big claws... And I awaited the applause and laughter that all great jokes had the power of creating.  My family lacked a bit of the enthusiastic laughter of the intended humor.  But I did get polite smiles and a pat on the back.  This would not detour me.  I would get the laughs.. So another alligator joke.. another bad punch line and more smiles and nods. 

For Ittie, I crack up.  Her punch line may be off but the light in her eye, the energy and enthusiasm in her voice.  The smile  that just lights up anyone's soul that she meets can't help but make you at least snicker. 

I come back with .. Ittie.. "What creatures do Spys like.".  What mama.. "SPYders"...  (thank you Bazooka Joe) I snicker.. She pauses putting it together.. Then tells me a joke about a dog that barked along the same lines as the flower joke above.   So I come back. Paula Gaumer posted it the other day its new: . "Ittie"..    "What do you call an Alligator Detective?"   "An investiGator."  . Drum role....  Thinking I will have the 6 year old rolling on this one.. again pause and silence.  My jokes are going over as well with her as my original alligator jokes with my family.  ....

OK here is a good one.. its a horse joke ..my thought she will have to love it..  "Ittie .. Why couldn't the Pony sing.". Why momma??   "Because he was a little horse".. Badumdaaa...cymbal roll in my head.. She snickers a little bit .. then says.. "Momma .. why did the little horse say ow".. I say why Ittie.. "Because she bumped her knee"..  Avery giggles..

We have these humor exchanges often.  Lots of knock knock jokes. I remember this is the age that I fell in love with the Muppet's, bugs bunny and the road runner.  I still love a good knee slapper.  They are easy, fun, creative and usually innocent.   If Tom and Jerry is on or the old Looney Tunes we will sit on the couch and laugh together.  This comedy creates a belly laugh in her that I can hear from the other room while I pull out laundry.  I smile.. Its a lovely sound.   Even thinking about her giggle, snicker and laughter while I type brings a gleam to my eye and warmth to my soul, I am instantly happy.

We have our own made up song about a chicken that won't lay eggs.. We sing it at the top of our voices. With a dialect that is somewhere between a sick dog howl and a yodel. At first Harriet looked at the two of us as if we had lost our minds and were being a adverse tactical team to her ears.  However, I caught Harriet smirking as the two of us broke out to the chicken song in the van as we drove one day.  Yep its contagious the innocent humor that means the people you love are having fun..

So why did the flower talk.? Where is Ittie's punch line, the humor?.  It is in the moment she imagines a daisy looking up at you to tell you about the walnut that is behind the tree; The funny pink princess laughing the entire time .. It is in the beautiful way she sees the world and the giggle you know that is coming because she just shared a piece of it with you... That walnut behind the tree. makes me giggle each time.