This Kid

I have this one kid that broke the mold. I don't want to embarrass him by saying his name or anything, but I'm telling you, I don't think there is any way to classify him. He's like all the energy of an atomic bomb coiled up inside this tiny body, brimming with creativity and intellect and more energy intermingled with testosterone. He's a wild child.

The kid can't focus for more than about thirty seconds. I mean, he can when we make him; I had to get him through kindergarten for mercy sakes, but with full efficiency, he cannot focus. If you call me, you'll hear me tell him to wait till I get off the phone to talk to me. To stop interrupting me. To go play. To back up. To stop interrupting. To go play. You'll have to wait. *exasperated sigh* Go to your room until I am off the phone. I mean, it depends on how long we've been talking, but if it's more than about two minutes, you'll hear at least the first two. Yesterday he told me that he didn't like this one teacher at church because when he answered the question with "water" all the kids laugh. He said, "Because water is good for you, Mom." But I couldn't honestly say I wouldn't have laughed. I know because when we do devotions at the end of each day and we are all answering a question like, "If you could ask God anything what would it be?" Tre might say, "That we all get to sleep tonight," not having heard the question or any of the six other answers given, he assumes we're taking prayer requests. If not that he answers, "Jesus!" the all inclusive Sunday school answer. He just has a hard time keeping his head in the game.

As a parent, I am obliged to give courtesy chuckles and smiles when my kids test out their humor on the stage, which means for an audience and we always have one around here. I don't give a hearty laugh unless it is sincerely funny because I believe in life conditioning. I remember the satisfaction of getting the real deal from my parents and I want to pass that on to my budding comedic clan. A couple of months ago I made a critical error in judgment in not concealing a laugh during an episode of Spongebob. Since then, I have been summoned to the television countless times to watch some random Bikini Bottom moment that might trigger my interest and produce a laugh. Unfortunately I was delirious that day and not fully able to reason. In the state of stability wherein I currently reside, Spongebob just isn't that funny. This kid, however, is.

While I was working nights to put Dale through school, he spent lots of weekends making memories with the kids. One night they were sitting on the porch playing "I get that one" with the cars that passed by on Main Street and Dale told this kid that the next one was the Monkey Truck coming to pick him up. Poor dude, still moderately terrified of Oobie, that hand puppet that used to be on Nick Jr, was convinced that he was a monkey and that the monkey truck would be coming to pick him up and cart him off with the rest of the monkeys. He has turned terror into triumph and now prides himself on being a monkey. Most recently he created this bizarre monkey sound that he makes randomly throughout the day. For whatever reason I crack up every time he does it. With that in mind, I began this blog today. Unfortunately I don't have a single battery to juice up my camera and play the monkey noise for the rest of the world. I did, however, find this which is equally as entertaining to me. I've watched it six times since I loaded it and I am still laughing about it. And if for no one else, Sarah, this one's for you.