Friday, September 3, 2010

Madee's Firsts

I have always found it both adorable and annoying when a little kid starts learning how to tell jokes. And it seems to me that the kids I remember telling jokes are closer to the 5 and up crowd, and they are trying to remember some joke they heard at school, or the playground, or at one of their friend's houses.

And they never seem to be able to remember the punchline after a super long build up, and sometimes I barely have the patience to get through the set up the first time, and then they have too start over because they forgot or messed up the punch line and they just can't go on with life until they get it out.

In my experience it takes approximately 4 hours to listen to a kid try to tell a joke before they give up/get distracted/fall asleep.

And although as a mother I do sometimes think my kids are doing things beyond their age limits, I am pretty sure that Madee telling successful jokes, and making them up on the fly is a pretty gifted skill for her mere 2 1/2 years.

I don't even know where she learned about knock knock jokes, because I don't recall EVER telling her one until she started "knock knock" ing on me, and I could resist the old banana, banana, banana, orange you glad I didn't say banana routine.

I mean, at least she knows what a banana and an orange actually is, because my "A priest, a Rabbi and an atheist walk into a bar" jokes just leave her staring at me blankfaced.

Kids.

No sense of humor.

Anyhoo, her new thing is telling knock knock jokes in the car, and hers goes like this:


Madee: Knock knock.
Me: Who's there?
Madee: Banana
Me: Banana who?

Madee: Knock knock.
Me: Who's there?
Madee: Banana
Me: Banana who?

Madee: Knock knock.
Me: Who's there?
Madee: Banana
Me: Banana who?

Madee: Knock knock.
Me: Who's there?
Madee: Orange
Me: Orange who?

Madee: I EAT IT! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA

And then we just fall rolling on the floor in laughter.

She totally made that up on her all by herself.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I taught Alexander the Banana Orange joke when he was young.

Madee's version made me laugh.

The joke that Alexander and I did a lot at that age was Interrupting Cow...

Alexander: Knock knock.
Me: Who's there?
Alexander: Interrupting cow.
Me: Interrupt -
Alexander: MOOOOOOOOO!!

And then he would try to change it up with interrupting frog, interrupting cat, etc.

As for the Orange joke, there's a local tehater company called PB&J Theater Factory that does funny pantomime plays. They had one called Snack last year where they acted out the knock knock joke. Really really funny.

You can see bits of the video on their Myspace page. http://www.myspace.com/pbjfactory
Yes, apparently there's still a Myspace.
The Banana, Banana, Banana, Orange is a quick clip at the beginning and again at 1:22.

Maggie May said...

what is it about that joke- or versions- that is sooo attractive to kids? i told the original as a kid and all my kids have taken turns telling it- though none put their own spin on it ;)

 
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