Ah-ah-aachoo

At Big Brother’s first Thanksgiving (he wasn’t yet a year old), he started to get really fussy at the dinner table. Out of desperation sheer ingenuity, I grabbed the only toys we had at the table: link-a-doos.

Impulsively Knowing exactly what I was doing, I scrunched up the link-a-doos into a ball, held them up to my face, and went "Ah-ah-aachoo," letting the chain of link-a-doos go flying out like a big snot-rocket from a fake sneeze snake in a can of fake peanuts.

Big Brother thought this was absolutely hilarious, and bursted out into giggles. Without further ado, Mom-E grabbed the video camera and I did it again, catching the same reaction on tape.

Because our family is crazy everyone wanted to share in the fun, we started passing the link-a-doos around the table. One by one, we each took a turn with a fake sneeze, and every time was just as funny as the first for Big Brother. The whole time, the camera was rolling (and so were we).

I'm thankful that no one laughed so hard they hit their head on the table and had to go to the ER for a head CT.

I guess that experience was too funny not to keep doing on other occasions made a lasting impression on me. Big Brother and I still like to play this game, particularly with a cup of water in the bathtub. I mean, what better way to rinse off then by having your Dad-E sneeze a cup full of water all over you. It still makes him giggle.

Just the other day both boys were in the tub, and I played the "Ah-ah-aachoo" game with Big Brother.

Apparently this reaction runs in families (or is just universally appreciated by children), because Little Brother also thought this was HILARIOUS! (An aside: I think the boys look like brothers the most when they giggle uncontrollably with an ear-to-ear grin.)

Little did I know what a huge mistake I'd made how much fun we'd have with this game.

The next night, I was giving Little Brother his bath. I turn around to get his washcloth. When I turn back, he has a cup filled with water. Without hesitation, he exclaims "Aachoo!" and proceeds to fling the cup's contents over the side of the tub, soaking his towel and my pants.

"Mom-E, my pants are wet! I need new underwear!" (What? That's what Big Brother would say.)

Before I can clean up the mess, he tries to do it AGAIN! This time I stop him, which only makes him giggle more.

After his bath, he was standing facing the fireplace (must've been looking at his reflection), playing by himself. He starts making a flinging motion with his arm, each time exclaiming "Aachoo!"

In our house, you now have to protect your face watch out any time you hear a little voice say "Aachoo", because a projectile toy is probably in the air.

Help! I've created a Sneeze Monster. (Mom-E, I need some Sneeze Stopper Slices!)

See you on Fatherhood...ah-ah-aachoo...Friday!

Cheers,
Busy-Dad-E