Where Does It Come From???

It was one of those evenings. One of those, pack everyone up in the car and head out, we're nuts but we love it kind of evenings. There were clearance racks to pursue in search of 'camp appropriate clothing' for the ever-growing one, and several household/grocery needs to be tracked down along with a new script I must start in preparation for what I'm sure will become known as "The Great Wuss Weekend". So we headed out.

In our family lore, those that have come before us often influence our thoughts, actions and activities, and yes, even what we label those activities. I can't say exactly who relegated the joy of bodily functions to family times only, but with two growing boys and a daughter with digestive issues, we get a lot of it. So as the topic of 'bottom gas' was being bandied about the back of the van I thought I'd offer a bit of a family educational tidbit. After all, my niece Mackenzie was the one who started the whole 'bottom gas' label and I thought that it would amuse the boys so without thinking, I asked the question of the day.

There was a pause for a moment between all of the talk of 'sodom sass' and the boys laughter so I stepped in. I should have thought a bit more before I did. But no. I just forged ahead. From my mouth came "Where to you think 'bottom gas' comes from? For a moment there was silence. I was thinking about how to respond in a fun manner, relating Mackenzie's brilliance, and instead I hear the smallest voice in the car make the first guess. "From my bottom!" comes the enthusiastic reply. After a short pause, the car erupted in to laughter.

The laughter brought her tremendous reinforcement. For the rest of the trip home we'd hear "from my bottom" followed by her own ruckus laughter over and over again.

*sigh*

I did eventually rephrase my question and share the family lore, but somehow it was lost amidst the funny expressions from Laura. She's been upstaging us for three years now. I guess it is bound to continue. :)

And so it goes...