The Only One Laughing...

Do moms have their sense of humor removed after giving birth or do I just end up in conversations with people that I normally wouldn't have had any reason to talk to? Now that my daughter is four, and I do know some other parents with a sense of humor, I believe it's the latter.

Recently, I was on a tour of an elementary school that my daughter may or may not go to in another year and a half (Whoa, Hey little old procrastinating self...thinking ahead!) Each tour guide took about ten parents and showed them around.  One of the moms asked about music instructions and the tour guide, we'll call her Jill. (hmm, that might actually be her name) replies "Oh, yes.  My son has learned to play the Tuba.  Or as I call it...'The Ovary Shriveler' " I laughed out loud, nearly spitting my coffee.  I, as is often is the case, was the only one laughing.  Parents exchanged uncomfortable glances as if Jill had just said "I eat babies on skewers for lunch" I continued the tour, knowing right then and there, that I wanted Jill to be my new best friend.
I am usually "Jill"
I got to thinking, Don't any of these people have a sense of humor?  Is it parenthood that does this?  Is it the subject matter?  Does having a laugh about children make them feel like horrible people? Do Crocs really come in that color?

I never thought about these things until my child was born.  I found other moms uptight but I chalked it up to the lack of sleep, post partum issues, and being the constant recipient of child rearing advice. In one small group of mommies, everyone shared why they chose to have a child, when it was my turn I said "carpool" ...cricket...cricket.  wrong crowd for baby jokes.  As usual when people don't get my sense of humor, I keep going until I have completely alienated myself.  When discussing Halloween costumes, I shared my brilliant idea of a "Dingo Ate My Baby" costume, A dingo costume with just a baby's head peaking out of the mouth.  Seriously, I can't believe no one has made one of these! Someone should steal my idea and sell it on Etsy, I am way to lazy. The other mommies of course looked at me as if I had personally fed my newborn to a dingo.  I should have realized that any group with the word "Mommy" in it wasn't really my scene.

I shouldn't have been surprised.  If my waste of time childbirth class had prepared me for anything it should have been dealing with humorless people.  Mark and I were like the delinquents making jokes in the back of class.  The first exercise was to breathe while holding a bag of ice.  "To teach you to focus, while doing something uncomfortable"  I remember being in labor, writhing in pain, yelling to Mark "Yup This is just like holding a bag of f^&*ing  bag of ice" My favorite parts of childbirth class were the terrible DVD's they had us watch. The advice was to comfort your partner with a familiar object and maybe sing a soothing song.  When the dude with the porn stache was comforting his mulleted wife by holding up a picture of their cat and singing "She'll be comin' round the mountain when she comes" I nearly went into labor from laughing my face off...but come on!  It was funny?  Why wasn't anyone else laughing?...Ok, Mark was laughing.  I love him for that.

So, finally, Here is my point.   Nope never mind.  I don't have one.  I do however have a sense of humor, it may not be anyone elses cup of tea, but I think life is funny as hell. Being a parent is amazing, and exhausting, and fabulous and annoying and you might as well get some material and  comic relief out of it.