Is there anything better than the sound of a kid laughing? If there is, I haven't found it. I live to hear Alexis laugh. It's somewhat rare that she falls into a fit of breathless giggles (mostly because I never know what will induce it), but every day I go out of my way to make her laugh, if only because I want to hear it.
There are many guaranteed ways of getting the kid to chuckle. Pretend to be disgusted by her stinky feet and she'll treat you with a giggle. Send her on a Poot Hunt (if you think about it, you'll figure out what that is) and she'll laugh out loud. Incorporate the words booty, bum, poop, or bee-bees (I'd tell you what that is, but you wouldn't believe me) into any story and she'll giggle for ten solid minutes.
It's really not that hard to get the kid to laugh. She's the class clown, a room filled with bubbles, the giggle monster, and a ray of sunshine all rolled into one. There are days when all you have to do is look at her and she'll bust up laughing.
When I take her to have her picture taken professionally, I go straight for the stinky feet method of making her laugh. It's guaranteed that I'll get giggles and smiles within seconds. We have managed to get a dozen amazing photos in under five minutes several times. (Local peeps can see proof at South Hills Village Picture People. While you're there, I wouldn't hate it at all if you figured out how I can get all of those photos for free. I only bought one 8x10 because I suck. And didn't have the money for more. And still don't.)
I don't expect that a photographer would know the magic tricks for making my kid laugh, but if somebody is a professional photographer who makes a decent living doing school pictures at daycares and preschools, I kinda think maybe he or she should know how to get a giggle or two out of a short person. It just seems like that would be a really important part of the job.
Alexis agrees.
Yesterday Alexis was one of the first kids to have her school pictures taken. She happily walked to the background, stood on her mark, and waited. The photographer tried a lame joke. Alexis stared, waiting. The photographer tried another lame joke. Alexis stared, waiting. The photographer whipped out a third lame joke. Alexis looked him dead in the eye and said, "You're not funny," right before crossing her little arms across her chest and turning her back to the guy.
He didn't even manage to get one picture.
I'm OK with the total school picture fail because I now know I'm comedy gold in her eyes. After all, she has never once told me, "You're not funny."