Over the years the mischievous nature and unique flavor of boy humor has been a constant, from the early days of pull-ups on through stubble-faced grins. The brand of humor is both inevitable and unpredictable, from subtle tones and impromptu comments, to carefully crafted pranks, to a wordless and house-shaking physicality.

One testament, a group effort with Mom as the recipient, was a “handmade” Christmas gift manufactured by the most interesting men in the world—or at least in the bonus room here on the home front.

The humor was not lost on Mom (or the snow monkeys), and the dip into the hot springs offered a symbolically heartwarming evening of fun and creativity. The creative process in many scenes featured nonstop silliness, smiles, laughter and good-natured fun. And the result, something you can’t purchase in a store….

As I write this piece in my head, a headline flashes on a news show on one of the endless oversized screens, the centerpiece of the gym I frequent. I read the captions and all four anchors agree that boys are easier to raise than girls. The panel refers anecdotally to their own experiences and the word “drama” is tagged to girls, and “they get over it” is ascribed to boys. Even with a weak Nielsen rating, the anchors prolong parenting myths as millions will nod unquestioning. Is it any wonder we continue to misinterpret the emotional life of boys and raise men who don’t even know what they are getting over?

Raising kids is hard—girls and boys. I have not found “easy” to be a part of the process. Exciting, wondrous, amazing, challenging, heart-wrenching, draining, beautiful, confounding, and a consistent-work-in-progress—yes. Easy? Not even close.

Such is the many shades and flavors of boy humor, for even when offered the “easy” task of snapping a photo of the rest of the family, funny-bones get tickled and you end up with a keeper for the family album.

Anything “easy” is not worth very much. I wouldn’t want it any other way. And at least he got my good side.