I got a rare…sure, we’ll call it a “treat” tonight, when about fifteen minutes into my trivia show I felt a tiny pair of arms ensnare my leg as a “Daddy!” pierced the din of the music and crowd. I was thrown completely off-balance for a moment, as I saw Miles but had no idea where his mother was or, subsequently, how he had even gotten to Legion Brewing.
Of course I did spot Jaclyn after a moment, and of course Miles was extremely eager to take part in the show. “I want the microphone!” he said as he stretched his hands out, clawing at the air between him and the mic.
I’ve done this long enough to know that kids on the mic are almost always good for a laugh, so I quickly relented…with, of course, some guidelines. I asked Miles if he would like to read the answers at the end of each song, and he merrily agreed.
So this is how I got my kid to utter a host of delightful words and phrases, including…
- “Mary Lou Retton”
- “No Diggity” (or “Dickery” as Miles pronounced it)
- “Kiss Me Deadly” (a-DORABLE)
- And, as an answer to an X-Files question, “Stratego” (yeah, he had a tough time with that one)
On his way out, I asked the crowd to give my diminutive co-host a round of applause, and Miles ate it up. “BYE, EVERYONE!” he yelled as he was finally hauled out over Jaclyn’s shoulder.
The Perils (& Pride) of Paternity 