Clementine(s)

We have a new illness in our house. It manifests itself by uncontrollable laughter and milk spitting out of the mouth. Occasionally, it even spurts out a nose.

Now, lest you think otherwise, I'm not really that hilarious. However, you wouldn't know it by the condition around our table at mealtimes.

On Monday, Deanna spit ice cream onto her plate. Today, Dane spurted milk onto his. And all this mess because "Mommy's SO- O-O-O-O funny."

Ever since our beach trip to the Outer Banks last summer, we've had a fruit bowl out on the counter in the kitchen. Even when we were in England, I kept a fruit bowl. It typically has oranges, Gala and Granny Smith apples (some like 'em tart, some like 'em sweet), and bananas. Every now and then, just for variety, I'll throw in grapes or kiwi fruit. Today I was at Wal-Mart with my mother and they had Clementines cheap, so I bought a bag. They didn't quite make it into the fruit bowl, but were laying on the kitchen table when we sat down to eat dinner. After I finished my black beans and rice (Don's Grandmother's recipe - she was a gourmet - and they're WONDERFUL), I opened the bag, picked out a piddly little Clementine and, as I peeled it, began singing the song by the same name, being careful to demonstrate the "ruby lips above the water" while I sang about them.

Yes, just as you predicted - milk out of the mouth and nose. I was beginning to think Deanna might even shoot it out her ears.

By the end of dinner, Dane and Daelyn were both happily singing their own rendition of "Clementine" - "you are lost in Mommy's tummy. Dreadful sorry, Clementine."

Deanna shook her head. "You're ALL crazy!" she pronounced.

Just remember, babe. The apple (Doughty, in this case) doesn't fall too far from the tree.