My children have the ability to make me laugh like no one else, even when they’re not trying. Especially when they’re not trying. Sometimes they say the darndest things, perfectly innocently, that are just flat hilarious.

And some of their words and phrases have forever altered the Family Vocabulary.

Cajun Seasoning, for example, will forevermore be known as Kuh-Juan’ Seasoning because Katie Beth thought the container said Cajuan. She ever-so-innocently asked us to pass the Cajuan seasoning one night at dinner, and the name stuck.

And then there are Round Holes. Not sure what those are? Wellllll…. I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but once, long, long ago, we were all sitting on the couch playing a game where we each took turns drawing on a dry erase board. One person would draw a squiggle then pass the board to the next person, who would add to the picture, and so on. Our picture evolved into a chicken, at which point it was four-year-old Annie’s turn. And she drew a circle on the chicken’s chest. “What’s that, Annie,” we asked? “Well,” she said thoughtfully, “you know how some cats have a round hole where they go to the bathroom?”

SOME cats, she said.

And on the chicken’s chest.

And so Round Hole was added to our vocabulary. Just FYI, we {the adults here} sometimes call people that behind their backs, but only when they really deserve it.

Then there are some phrases that are staples in our vocabulary that I just can’t explain.

Like “STRIP STRIP STRIP IN THE HALL.”  You had to be there.

Or “Pills ain’t got no taste.” I can’t explain that one in public either, but we quote that one often.

Or “Liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiittle Giiiiiiiiiiiiiiirl.” It’s a long story.

But my favorite kid quote of all time?

I will never again hear Joan Jett singing I Love Rock and Roll on the radio without hearing it the way Annie belted it out on her karaoke machine one day.

You guessed it.

It makes sense that you would think “chipmunk” if you’ve never heard of a jukebox. 

Yep. I don’t know what I ever laughed at before I had these kids.