TheBanyanTree: some days just start out funny

[Julie Anna Teague]

So, some background to my strange little family, my sons and I:  We have a
running joke about cheese.  I don't remember how it all started, exactly,
but the word "cheese" was somewhat humorous to us already, and then came
the commercial around Christmas time last year that said, "Cheese makes
good gifts."  Fuel to our cheese fire.  

And then we had that one near disasterous dinner at Steak-n-Shake.  There
were all these signs with cheese slogans.  I can't even think what they
were now.  Something like "We'll give you new ways to have fun with your
cheese" and "We'll cut the cheese for you" etc, etc.  In any case, the
boys got tickled pink, and then red, and then purple, and then bits of
french fries were reappearing half chewed.  At this point in the day my
parental patience was exhausted, along with the rest of me, and I didn't
give a Monterey Jack about anything but eating and getting home.  I was
irritated and was trying to get them to calm down and eat-for-godssake and
knock off with the cheese giggles, but this just exascerbated the whole
situation and we were on a cheddar wheel to hell, rolling downhill fast.

Later, they apologized and I apologized--with a picture postcard of
cheese.  We ate at Steak-n-Shake once since then and Andy and Seth
specifically chose seats that did not command a view of the funny cheese
signs.  Last week, Andy sent me email--a recipe for making cheese he'd
found by himself on the internet.  

So, as I said, we have this history with cheese and just saying cheese
makes us laugh.  Which brings us to this morning when both boys woke up in
terrific good moods, which is strange enough for a Monday.  I even
overheard them diffusing a battle situation between them with no screaming
and no parental intervention.  Then Andy started singing (he sings all the
time, and is noted for his impromptu compositions): 

         It's a beautiful mo-oo--oorning, 
            and my life is full of CHEESE!  

Seth, not typically much of a singer, was in such a good mood that he
followed on with: 

    ....And when those mice come around,
          you know they're goin' down,
          cause you know....know........KNOW...... (big finish...)
          it's my CHEEEEEEEESE!

And I have to say that it warms the cockles of my heart to have these
silly little insider jokes with my children.  I see our lives together
stretched out before me.  I picture my sons at thirty-something,
unwrapping cheese on their birthdays, and all of us, laughing and laughing
and laughing.  Crazy.  


Julie