Beany Junebug: Olive Mae, Age 3

Cody and I just celebrated our 9th anniversary of marriage. Nine. long. years. In all seriousness, we really enjoy being married. At least that's what Cody tells me.

We went out to eat last night in celebration.The food, less than stellar, perhaps didn't set up a scene suitable for starry-eyed reveling in our marital bliss. The conversation eventually turned to our children. I think I remember hearing that your marriage might be in trouble if all you talk about with your spouse is your children. I prefer to believe that we just have especially entertaining children.

Banana slug encounters at Tilden park in Berkeley

We mused about Olive: most often our snuggly, innocent, little girl, but sometimes impish beyond her years. Last night during bedtime preparations, Cody sent her in to use the bathroom. I came in a moment later to find her doing everything else besides.

Me: Aren't you supposed to be going potty?

Olive: I already did.

Cody: (entering the bathroom) Did she use the bathroom?

Me: She says she did, but I don't think so.

Olive: I did use the potty!

Cody: (checking the toilet for evidence) Well, I don't see any pee.

Olive: (with an amused expression on her face) You can't see it. It's invisible pee.

Invisible pee?? Who taught her that? Cody conjectured: Junie? No. One of her friends? No. She came up with it all on her own, we decided.

Easter egg hunt at Olive's music class

Henry, at age one, is beginning to enter the "trying to be funny" phase. It's adorable right now and I enjoy playing along as he crawls over and "tickles" me: "Oh, you got me!" is my obliging response as he does it again and again, laughing delightedly at my reaction. It must be highly entertaining to them since it continues on for years afterward. Yet it's not so endearing when a three-year-old does or says the same thing repeatedly, expecting the same enthusiastic response. And even less endearing when it's the five-year-old.

Not to say that children aren't funny. Cody and I regularly resort to silent laughter as ours unintentionally entertain us much more than anything out of Hollywood ever could. But that's the key word: unintentionally. Their intentional attempts to do or say something funny often have the opposite effect, and, unfortunately, the nuance behind our forced, obligatory chuckles appear to be completely lost on them.

But Olive? When she contrives to be funny, she often actually is. Her sense of humor is quite sophisticated for a three-year-old. As is her trickiness. The following scene played out a few months ago as she was drawing at the kitchen table.

Olive: I’m going to draw a gorilla. (Drawing on her paper.) Does this look like a gorilla?

Mom: (enthusiastically) Yes!

Olive: Does this look like a gorilla?

Mom: Yes, it does.

Olive: Because it’s not. It’s a dog.

Little rascal.