humor vs punky plus a realization and a shock

Ed was irritated with me recently because a kid in Mini’s class came to the door selling coupon books to support his high school baseball team.  Ed would have preferred that I bought the coupon book from his senior buddies who are baseball players vs a freshman.

Coupons galore. 
Some softball players
caught me off guard AFTER
 I had already bought a coupon
book and I bought another
one from them.  My kids sell
crap too, so I felt obligated.

‘Isn’t that kid a punk?’ Ed snarled.  No. I didn’t think so. I turned on my heel and faced my other high schoolers who were snarfing down after school snacks. Was this coupon kid indeed a punk?

‘No, he’s hilarious,’ they both agreed.

Last year this coupon-wielding boy and Mini were voted the boy/girl most likely the be the next Jimmy Fallon in the 8th grade superlatives.  

As an aside, (because I specialize in those) I was shocked when Mini came home and told me about the vote. My response, ‘You mean you talk at school? Like other people hear you speak?’  I had no idea that she came out of her shell at school and spoke loud enough for kids outside of her circle to hear.

I believe that birth order is to blame for why our family rarely associates Mini with having a strong sense of humor.  Tank was born 16 months before Mini. From a comedic standpoint, he is a tough act to follow.

Coach and I rotate taking a
different kid to breakfast
 each month so they all score
coveted alone time
 with us - really, they are in
it for the food.  This
 stuffed caramel french toast
is what Tank
ordered last weekend at a place
where we used a coupon.

At our dinner table, you have to be pretty aggressive and quick witted to get the floor and score a laugh. I literally stood in my kitchen and froze in a state of total surprise when my kid told me she was voted the funniest girl in her class.  I guess that’s better than discovering that your kid is on drugs. Still, I felt kind of lousy. How did I not know my kid was funny?

Ed was confused when Tank and Mini insisted that coupon kid is indeed funny and not punky.  

‘He is? His brother isn’t funny at all. He’s my age and he is pretty serious . . .’ Then Ed's voice trailed off.  ‘Oh, well,’ he shrugged.

I had never considered this before, but a parallel example occurred to me and I shared it with Ed. ‘Well, imagine what people say about Tank - and how he is your brother, and  . . . ‘

‘Yeah, I get it.  I just realized,' Ed understood where I was going with this.

Enough said.  Ed has a sense of humor, but he is known as being very dependable and straight as an arrow.  Tank is known throughout the school as being an unpredictable joker who would do anything for a laugh - a trait that frightens his family members who care about his well-being and our family reputation.  

My coupon booklet purchase was forgiven and Ed had a self revelation.  Everyone could support contributing to a character - just not a punk. As a mother, I knew the difference.  Come on Ed, give me some credit.