Friday, September 7, 2007

Whose Genes Are These, Anyway?

Who's the bigger fool? The fool who puts his head in the toilet, or the fool's mom, who believed that he had learned his lesson and would not repeat the stunt? It's really hard to say, but I am left wondering if our son is not as bright as we gave him credit for being. Does this mean that he is destined to become a dumb jock? Or does it foreshadow years of being bullied by kids like this, who will stick his head in the toilet and flush? Or does he just take after his Uncle Stuart, pictured below, sometime before his second birthday?
Please be sure to observe my oh-so-stylish 1985 pants, socks, and shoes there in the hallway. We should have known then that Stuart would grow up to be a surfer, since he so enjoyed the feel of the tide at his feet. (For those of you unfamiliar with this popular story in my family's lore, he used to climb into the toilet and flush his feet.)
So, perhaps I should not despair. Maybe he will grow up to be good looking and fluent in four languages like his uncle. Perhaps it is a sign that for the sake of science, he will be willing to sacrifice his own comfort in future experiments? I'm not sure what hypothesis he is seeking to prove right now, but I am holding out hope that there is one. However, until he moves on to a new experiment, I'm afraid to let him go to the bathroom alone. Unfortunately, he is only one of many around here who seem to need my attention almost constantly, so chances are good that his hair will experience a few more toilet rinses before this phase phases out!

11 comments:

Malia said...

Ian, I know you cant read this but let me just tell you how this will pan out...this will be an event returned to periodically through out your life, the trick is to play it off as the coolest thing ever...when some someone cringes at the thought of your head in the toilet just reply cooly,"that was the coolest feeling ever! I'll never regret it." we share a unique experience, one that very few will ever dare to duplicate...

Michal said...

stu,
you are posing as malia, putting words in her mouth, i see. and now you have begun to indoctrinate my son. way to go!:)

Macy said...

That is awesome. I love when the old pictures and family lore pop up.

david mcmahon said...

I can see that story being re-told for years to come .....

What a great post - and I love the picture

Malia said...

opps, that was me, Uncle Stuart who left the first post, not Malia...haha

mahina said...

i love the picture of uncle stuart in the potty!!

maybe i should be glad we don't have any boys, eh?!

Michal said...

mahina,
now you have a story you can tease stuart about at your family functions. we love teasing stu--he gives us lots of material to work with, but is so good natured about it as well. perhaps it comes from being the baby.
i'm sure that your experience with three girls is a far cry from mine!

Michal said...

david,
yes, family stories like this have a way of haunting us, don't they? poor ian will probably have to hear it told to his dates, his wife, his kids . . . oh, well.

Tutu lady said...

Oh, Yes! I'm enjoying all this new material about my new son (and his side of the family). Veeeeery interesssting.

Anonymous said...

Great Grandfather Thomas has a story told on him that has lasted 80+ years. He picked a flower and was told it would die. So he replanted it. How? In a fresh pile of cow poop.(Not really a toilet story but close)
Love,
Papa

Michal said...

dad,
the story about gg thomas is too funny! thanks for sharing that family legend--i'd never heard it!