We’re at a phase around my house I have been dreading pretty much since I found out I was pregnant for the first time.

The knock-knock joke phase.

Worst, (but, okay, it’s pretty hilarious) is that she knows one joke. One of them. Orange, orange who, orange you going to ask me another question? This happens a lot too:

Her: Knock knock!

Me: (sigh) Who's there?

Her: (looks around the room until her eyes light on a joke-able object) Ceiling!

Me: (eye roll) Ceiling who?

Her: Ceiling babble babble babble giggle madly!

Okay, I laugh, I can't help it. Like many things about parenting, I find that things that annoyed the living hell out of me when other kids I know did it, are kind of charming when it's my own kid.

My father, wonderful grandpa that he is, taught her a few more – this is the kind of thing he geared up for long ago and pleases him immensely. But we were desperate to expand her (and our) repertoire, so my husband actually Googled "knock-knock jokes." To his surprise, and mine, there is a lot out there that is actually kid-friendly, including this site paid for by our very own tax dollars! Why the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences needs to encourage the people of America to tell more knock-knock jokes I know not, but hell, it works out for us pretty well.

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