There is nothing as good as laughter at bringing people together.

Last night, three ladies joined me for Bible Study, but even as we talked real life and what parts of the homework we didn’t get done and where God was speaking to us, we laughed. We laughed at ourselves, mostly. And our stories. Laughter brings us together.

Yesterday afternoon, we stood around the kitchen table in Eric’s grandparents’ house. It’s been over 2 years since his grandpa passed away, almost 18 months since his grandma died. But the house is still full of treasure and trash. So we went through things. We tested the depression glass (it is real uranium glass, by the way). We looked at pictures. We read journals. We found neat things, and we laughed. At old photos. At strange “finds.” At good memories.

On Saturday, we went to the benefit for the Amish schools, otherwise known as the Amish Barbecue. The food is always phenomenal. But what is really fun is how you always see someone you know. We found family and friends. We joked and chatted at multiple tables. We oohed over my friend’s daughter’s just-lost tooth. We giggled over her toddler’s description of a camel spitting. The laughter reminds of us of connections. And fun. And it is as fulfilling as the food.

We rode home from church yesterday, and Eric teased the kids. He makes me laugh. Even after 12+ years of marriage. And the laughter connects us. He surprises me. I respond to him. We are better when we laugh together.

And I wish there was a way that more of the world could laugh together. Not at each other. Not in satire or full-blown sarcasm. But the true kind of connection that comes when we laugh together. It brings joy. It reminds us that there’s still hope. It satisfies us like good food. It’s so easy to get serious and focused. I do it too often. But I want to remember to laugh. I want to relax and find community and create community … through laughter.

I finally figured out a way around the horrible gripe-fest that happens every time I utter the phrase “clean your room.” I took the “begin with the end in mind” view, and we sat down and imagined our rooms totally clean. Then we wrote down, in checklist form – my kids are BIG on checklists – all the things that needed to happen for their rooms to end up clean. And oh.my.word. It worked! They cleaned. I didn’t have to yell, order, or deal with bellyaching. And they happily checked off their little lists which are now hung in their closets for all future cleaning sessions. Wahoo!

Got to go to the Amish Barbecue today. It’s just plain YUMMY. And I almost never get to go in October, so it was a special treat. And we saw family and friends there. Good times.

Took the kiddos for haircuts. And they got donuts while we were there (there were free leftovers, so we got a treat).

Hung with the family. Picked green beans with Eric. Erin and Megan helped for a while. We found 2 toads hiding in the beans. I still cannot believe that Erin is totally into toads and slugs and things. She is much less prissy than her girly-ness might make you think. 🙂

Made a light supper and then made banana bread. Earlier, I had found the applesauce-in-the-shape-of-an-apple rottenness that the fruit flies have been swarming around. It fell and splatted on my back porch, but that is better than my kitchen floor. Unfortunately, the flies immediately flew to the four bananas sitting next to the apples that remained (that we also threw away), so I had no choice but to make banana bread.

Well, and even the fruit-fly defeating banana bread took a back seat to the poop fest that Timmy had managed at some point while the beans were being picked. Had to stop and clean the toilet that had poop ALL over it. Just gross. And attracting flies there, too.

But I got it clean. And made banana bread. And now we’ll have to suffer through eating it, too. Rough life, I lead. For sure. 😉

Alex lost a tooth this morning. Pulled it out himself. He put it under his pillow with a note asking why the tooth fairy took a couple of days to get his last one. Um…how do you write a note that explains that “mommy just forgot.” I did get a note done, though. And it is near his pillow along with today’s tooth money. No forgetting today!

And then there were baths and bedtime prayers and cartwheels and headstands done in super-clean bedrooms, and now all 4 crazies are sleeping. And I’m about ready to join them.

It was a good day, today.