I mustache you a favor...

During a recent San Diego visit, I decided to mess with my nieces and nephew while Mark was outside unloading the car.

"Hey, guys, come here!" I whispered, motioning for them to come over. They reluctantly left the T.V.

"Yeah?" they asked, all at once.

"Um..." I paused, awkwardly. "So...you know how when you get older, your body changes?"

They all looked at me, horrified. The last thing they wanted to talk about was changing bodies!

Undaunted, I charged on.

"Well, Mark's getting a little...hairier," I said. "He's growing a little mustache, and he's really self-conscious about it."

They all exhaled with relief. In the realm of body changes, mustaches were safe to discuss.

"We won't tease him," Nathalie assured me.

"Gross!" Gabi shrieked.

"Mark has a MUSTACHE???" Grant gasped.

I put my fingers to my lips. "Shhhh," I told them. "Don't say anything or you'll embarrass him! Don't make him cry!"

They all agreed. A moment later, Mark slammed the car door outside, and the kids darted back into the living room.

Mark entered the house, and the kids very politely got up to say hello. They were so sweet, trying their very hardest to be nonchalant and polite, and not hurt poor, sensitive Mark's feelings.

But when they saw Mark, they totally disregarded everything I'd just said and laughed right in his face.

"What?" Mark asked, twirling the ends of the disgusting candy mustache he'd worn the whole drive down. "Do you like my mustache?"

The kids just laughed again, smacked me on the arm, and yelled, "You're so stupid!"

And all I could do was laugh with them.