Ashley McSplashley

Our middle child (who most of the time is the poster child for middle child syndrome) is also the ham of the family.

Really.  There are times when the things she says leave me and her father shaking our heads, wondering how that all got put together in her head.

She is quite witty that one.

Like the time at the craft store when she grabbed this thought could and put it above her little head, put her finger to her mouth and said, “Hmmm..  I’m thinking of something..”

Or when she puts on her best “preacher-man” voice to marry Lynn and an imaginary prince saying: “Will you take this man to be your AWFULLY married husband?”

(She tried to re-marry Merrill and I that way as well.)

She was hamming it up at the pool the other evening.  With grandpa and grandma as her audience, she couldn’t resist.  She would run and jump into the pool repeatedly, laughing and loving it.  Grandma made the comment that she was a fish, to which she replied, “No!  I am Ashley McSplashley!!  Get it?  because I splash?!”  (Giggle giggle…)

She is quick on her feet, always using props to help in her hilarity…

But of all her recent antics, Sunday’s little show takes the cake.

I was teaching her primary class about being thankful, saying “thank you”.  She is not an obnoxious kid  outside of the comfort of her own home, she is quite shy really, so getting her to answer questions during the lesson wasn’t so easy.  I got to the part, where I went to each child individually to ask them about a time when they told someone “thank you”.  Answers came and then I got to Ashley.  She just hammed-up her face with quite the quizzical expression, and I started to prod her little memory.  Suddenly, the look on her face changed, she put a knowing finger to her mouth, and answering my question in a voice just barely above a whisper, said:

“Remember this morning, when you picked out this stupid dress for me to wear, and said if I wore it and didn’t complain, then you would give me gum?  Well, I am going to say “thank you” after you give me my gum.” 

It was hard to keep a straight face after that.

It was the best answer.