I been SERVED!

Thing 1 joined the Air Force Jr. ROTC this year. She's having a great time with it. One of her electives each year is Aeronautics, during which they learn - well, aeronautics in addition to military custom. She gets use of her very own Jr. ROTC uniform (owned by the United States Air Force) that she has to wear at least once a week and has the rank of "Cadet".

Anyway, last night, the Hubbins and I sat at the kitchen table, reading and signing the multitude of forms the kiddies brought home from school that day. I am focused on Things 2 and 3's forms, and the Hubbins has Thing 1's Jr. ROTC forms. The Girls are roller skating, jumping, and generally traipsing around the house at this time. The Hubbins closes Thing 1's forms, puts them in a folder, and walks away from the table.

I look at the folder. It has an Air Force Jr. ROTC insignia on it. I hold it up to Thing 1 and ask, "Do you realize that by signing up for this, you are choosing one of your parents and rejecting the other?" This gets her attention. I explain, "Families tend to serve in one branch of the military and one branch alone. If you are a Navy family, you serve in the Navy. If you are a Marines family, the Marines. Army, Army. Air Force, Air Force." She gets it, yeah.

"Well," I say, "My family is an Army family." She fills in the rest, "And Dad's family is an Air Force family?"

Well, this prompts all sorts of good-natured ribbing. Thing 1 delights in rejecting me. The Hubbins delights in being chosen. Much argument and giggling is had over whether superior air domination is more important that superior ground forces, etc etc. What war in modern times were won or lost on one or the other branch, etc.

The discussion continues this morning. Things 1 and 2 are getting ready for school and both are buzzing around downstairs. I say to Thing 1, "You know, if God meant for us to fly, he would have given us wings in stead of machine gun arms."

She responds, "Ever since the beginning, humans have wanted to fly."

I inform her, "Ever since the beginning, humans have wanted to eat."

Then, I gets wise, remembering the "4 Fs" of Intro to Psych -- the prime directives of our lizard brains. Thing 2 stands before me, so I decide to bait her with what I expect to be a smarty pants response about the Fourth "F", and as to which I can then make a mildly dirty joke.

I declare, with much authority, "Ever since the beginning, humans have wanted the 4 'Fs' -- fight, flight, flee, and procreation." I look smug, expecting to hear that "procreation" doesn't start with an "F".

Instead, Maura deadpans, "You said 'flight'."

OOF. I been served.