Hmm. No wonder my kids are well adjusted because, Lord knows, there was plenty of silliness in our house. And, while I will admit to most of the silliness, my dear wife had her share as well.

To wit …

My oldest son remembers the food fights {yeah, mashed potatoes and grapes, courtesy of Mom’s first strike} our mis-adventures in the milk truck {that’s what they called my delivery truck in Illinois} and the Beast {an International Scout known more for not having floorboards in the back than anything else}, his brother’s antics on the t-ball field, silly adventures in the kitchen {again, I’m innocent} and the search for the missing tools when I completed a renovation {hint, check behind the wallboard}.

Middle son remembers quite vividly the time I was “playing” with a ball on the dining table despite protestations from my wife. Sure enough, the ball plunked into my coffee cup. The “sneeze” was a close second. Oh, there I sneezed on a fresh plate of nachos. To choruses of “disgusting” I ended up with the whole plate for myself. He thought it was cute when I would come into a room where my wife was and start singing Have I Told You Lately [That I Love You] or started dancing with her, usually when her hands were busy kneading dough. Then he remember the time he and his brother caught a mouse in Ohio, put it in a brown bag, tied it with a string and strategically placed it in front of Mom’s coffee mug. {okay, they weren’t silly, they were demented.} Oh, he added, you can’t forget the times you put your glasses on the coffee mug handles. {That always cracked them up. I don’t understand why.}

Youngest daughter was a big help. “I remember something with the pool in Ohio. I don’t remember exactly what it was, but it was funny!” She also reminded me of the time Karen and I called the Toledo Police because we thought there was a marijuana plant growing in our back yard. Turns out it was only a weed. She also remembered me being silly at Christmas and other holidays putting bows on my head or perfectly unwrapping presents.

Oldest daughter chimed in with, “I think my funniest memory is the fact I don’t have any memories.” {poor child}

The point of the study — I think — was silliness in the home helps kids realize we’re all human, do dumb things, make each other laugh. And that’s a good thing. An unexpected silliness can change the entire mood of a room.

I’ll admit the more tired I am, the sillier I am, but we need some silliness in our lives. Laughter is always the best medicine.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: Every time you laugh, you reduce the stress hormone and increase production of the human growth hormone, also known as the “youth hormone,” by as much as 87% according to some sources.