setting a very bad example

ok, so i did a bad thing last night. j and i went out to dinner together, mama and son, at a chinese restaurant. he loves the lo mein noodles and sticky white rice. anyway. we both eat with chopsticks, and about halfway through the meal he chirruped to me, "mama, try to make me laugh!"

this is a game we often play, where he will fold his arms and set his mouth and determine that he shan't laugh no matter what mama does to try to make him do so. i, in turn, pull the silliest things i can think of out of my hat to try to make him laugh, and it usually ends up with us both laughing.

however! we were in the midst of a semi-crowded chinese restaurant, in public; ergo, it was not the time to play the "make me laugh" game! so i said, "not now, honey. perhaps later." i then resumed my eating; glanced up at him, and he looked - not sad, not disappointed, just sort of, "oh well" - so i very craftily, very sneakily inserted both chopsticks under my upper lip above my canines to form great walrus teeth.

then i kicked his leg lightly under the table to make him look up at me (it's rather difficult to SPEAK with chopsticks stuck under one's upper lip - just try it if you don't believe me) - he glanced up, saw mommy walrus, and erupted into peals of laughter.

i started laughing too (easier than talking with said chopsticks). everyone in the vicinity was staring at us (probably more at the pitiful adult woman with chopsticks for teeth), but we didn't care. we just laughed and laughed.

then i pulled the chopsticks out and said, "told you i could make you laugh!" he giggled, eyes still sparkling, and said, "silly mama!!!!"

silly, indeed. and may that never change!