"Dad, I'm Serious!"

Yesterday when I arrived home from work, Mary greeted me at the door alone. I was surprised since this is not our ordinary routine. She went on to tell me that the kids were hiding and that they wanted me to find them. Little Caleb was easiest to find...sitting in his bouncy chair in the kitchen. The girlies were down in the basement, hiding behind couches. After hugs and kisses, I settled down in a reclining chair in the basement. Madge, who was wearing nothing but a pair of shorts and a necklace, brought her doctor's kit over to examine me. She asked me why I had a cold. I told her that I have a cold (make-believe, mind you) because I fell into the well and the old man with the ladder took a long while to fetch me out. (One of Maddy's favorite books--as was mine as a child--is Tikki Tikki Tembo.) She quickly realized that I was speaking from the book. "Dad!" she exclaimed. "You have to be serious. I'm serious." I looked at my 4-year old with a funny blond ponytail, only a necklace and shorts on--oh, with her toy stethoscope on now, too. Seriously. Hah. I had to laugh. "Madge, how can you be serious at a moment like this!" We both had a good laugh about being so serious. Then she went on to examine me. Fortunately, the prognosis is good: I should feel better after five days of bedrest in the hospital. Oh, phew. Then I can go back to being silly.