Giggling with the Girlies

Since I am the parent of  7, 9, and 10 year old children, I had forgotten that everything is hilarious when you're four years old. 

I took my nieces shopping tonight.  They are staying with us while their parents get a much-needed vacation for a few days.  As we turned onto the main street to go to the store, which happens to be the same direction we would turn to go to their house, the girls asked if we were going to their house to get "Pepper," their black poodle.  I made a joke of it so they wouldn't get homesick and said (in a silly voice, of course), "Nooo!  Pepper can't go shopping with us...  Can you imagine Pepper buying milk at the store?"  The girls giggled and settled into silence.

Until I heard a sneaky little voice pipe up in the back asking, "Pepper?" and then erupting into giggles.  That got the other one laughing and we laughed the whole way to the store, through the store, and home from the store.  All from one little word which turned into one very silly joke.

It's so fun to be able to just let go and laugh about silly things.  I think that sometimes the laughter masks other emotions, but it's more fun to laugh than to cry.  We've had tears today, but we've had much more laughter.  As I kissed the girls good night and tucked them in, they were still smiling, content from a day of giggles, hugs, reading, singing and family.

Kids will not remember the little things that make them cry if we give them enough happy memories of love and laughter.