Category: Humor

Dad could sing. He wasn’t trained, but he could carry a tune. One day around the Fall/Winter Stevenson birthday season we were at Mom and Dad’s house to celebrate with dinner and dessert. The Stevensons love their dessert, so we don’t typically wait to let our dinner “settle” before looking for the sweets. Dinner is more like the interminable engagement period you have to trudge through before you get to the real goal underneath that veil of icing. It is a necessary evil, but it isn’t meant to be enjoyed on its own.

So it was, with thoughts of a glorious sugar high dancing in our heads, that the boys made quick work of dinner and immediately started scouring the kitchen for the main part of the meal. Alas, Mom informed us that the cake was still in the oven. A collective groan went up as we bemoaned our lot in life. “Why does it take so long to bake a cake?”

This triggered some long retired synapse in Dad’s brain and he started belting out an unsettling tune: Continue reading It Took Too Long to Bake It

We invented ruffling. Well, my Dad did. You haven’t heard of it? You will. It is only a matter of time. Have you ever seen puppies bounding around, knocking each other over, and biting at ears and paws? It’s like that, but for humans. The etymology of the word “ruffling” is a clever amalgamation of the phrase “rough housing” with the word “wrestling.” It’s a unique brand of horseplay, which includes tackling, jumping, climbing, and tickling. Growing up I can remember ruffling with Dad and honing my escape skills to the point where I had a near Navy Seal-like efficiency. He would pin me down in a classic MMA ground and pound position, and as a 6 year old I could always pull my legs in, push them against his chest, and kick out. Inevitably it sent him flying across the room. I’ve always had incredibly strong thighs. I think it’s from soccer. Continue reading Everyday I’m Rufflin’

My family loves to joke around. My Dad, my brothers, and now my kids. We have thick skin. We insult each other. We laugh. It’s good fun. Our church has name tag stickers. Davin gets a kick out of discreetly placing them on people after the service. He’ll collect a bunch of stickers from folks and then unleash his quirky mayhem. It’s particularly enjoyable to put a sticker on a baby’s hand, or on their forehead right between the eyes where they can’t reach it. Free comedy at its best until they start crying. When Davin is really on top of his game, you’ll see name tags on people’s stomachs, in their hair, the back of their legs, on their arms, and if you look around you’ll see Davin nearby with his hand over his mouth shaking in silent laughter. That’s the backdrop for our recent trip to the Olive Garden, where they’ve got a brand new addition to the kids’ menu … cute little Olive Garden stickers. Continue reading Stickers and Shirt Wedgies