A Chip off the old block

My daughter and I have this "jump-out-and-scare-each-other" thing going on. If you can imagine the old slapstick Peter Seller's movies when Kato used to jump out and attack Peter Sellers then you'll get the picture. I started it when she was a bit younger and she loves it, even though at times it makes her heart skip a beat or two, as it does mine when she jumps out at me. She's just a chip off the old block as far as being a practical joker goes.

Last night she got me good! We were all over at my sister-in-law's house ringing in the New Year when my daughter walked into the kitchen area, which is visible from the living room where her mother, myself and my sister-in-law were all watching TV. My wife told her to come in and sit down with all of us. In her typical fashion as of late, she said "no", and then quickly disappeared back down the hallway. My wife then called out to her again to come back in and sit down with us, as did I.

No reply.

So I then reluctantly got up off the nice, comfortable sofa I was sitting on and went down the hallway expecting to see her when I entered the back bedroom, where the other TV and computer are. But there was no sign of her and she wouldn't respond when I called her name. I opened the closet door in the room half-expecting her to jump out at me then, but she wasn't in there either. I then checked the other bedroom nearby, following the same routine of opening the closet door and looking under the bed. But there was still no sign of her. By then I was getting a little bit miffed. The only room left to check was the bathroom in the hallway, which I did. I opened the bathroom door to find no light on, yet it wasn't completely dark because the light was on in the hallway. I quickly scanned the room and it was obviously empty, or so I thought. It was then that she jerked back the shower curtain and jumped out at me with a bloodcurdling scream! In an instant all I could think about was the shower scene in "Psycho"! And yes, my heart must have skipped several beats when at first I jumped back in a defensive posture expecting the worst!

After the initial shock had worn off and I realized I had been set up, I gave my daughter the "high-five" approvingly. After all, she's just a chip off the old bock. :)