Everyone's a Comedian

The kids have been telling lots of jokes lately, usually as we're driving somewhere. I am also asked, nay, required to tell jokes as well. Which often puts me in the enviable position of trying to think of another knock-knock joke while navigating rush hour traffic and listening to Grace wail.

At least it keeps them busy and happy, and at least they aren't asking me about how the continents all moved into their current places. Yes, seriously. The other day I was driving across the multi-laned, congested Sydney Harbour Bridge while trying to explain plate tectonics to Ava. You can imagine how that went. This is why we keep Papa on speed dial. My dad is a wealth of such information and has saved me from many a minor traffic incident as I attempt to explain what would happen if you swallowed a brick, or what the sun is made of, or how God is everywhere at the same time.

But about the jokes. I usually give a courtesy laugh to the kids' jokes. There are only so many jokes about poop that are funny, really. But here are two that Ava told that I thought were pretty good.

Ava: Why did the giraffe go to the doctor?
Me: I don't know...why?
Ava: Cause he was an elephant.

Kind of existential, don't you think? I just love how random kids can be.

Here's the other:

Ava: Why did the electric eel go to the doctor?
Me: Why?
Ava: Cause he wanted to kill the doctor.


This one really struck me as funny, I think because of how surprised I was that she came up with something like that. I started laughing, but then I got in trouble with Jason, who reminded me that jokes about killing people are in fact not funny. Right. Oops.

So far, Nate's comic sensibilities are still in formation. Most of his jokes are hybrids of established formats. For example:

Nate: Knock Knock
Me: Who's there?
Nate: Why did the poop go to the doctor?
Me: Why?
Nate: Orange you glad I didn't say banana?

Out-of-the-box. Unconventional. One reviewer noted, "Nate likes to push the envelope and keep me guessing. He toys with my traditionalist understanding of a simple joke. He's edgy like that." Indeed.

Please if you know any good knock-knock jokes, send them my way. I am about tapped out.