How do you keep a straight face?

Mary Grace, lately, has been throwing things at Claire, hitting, and generally acting, well, acting two. So, a couple of days ago I told her, "No more warnings - from now on you're getting a time out right away for anything that hurts another person." (I used to give her a warning, first, and then give her a time out if she repeated the behavior within 10 or 15 minutes of the warning, but she knows the rules better now than she did when she was one...)

So, consequently, we've been doing more time outs, lately, than we used to. She's probably spending 20 minutes a day in time out (that's 10 two minute time outs, for those of you who haven't read my post on the subject). It's no fun for either of us.

So, tonight she bit my foot (?!?!?!?), and I put her in time out immediately. After two minutes, I went over and got down on her level and said, "Mary Grace, why did you get a time out?" and she said, "Because." "Because you did what?" I replied.

"Hmmm..." she said, folding one arm across her chest, resting her opposite elbow on her hand, and putting her fingers to her chin, "Let me think. Think, think, think."

I almost peed myself laughing. I just couldn't help myself. I tried to cover it with a cough, but when BJ started laughing in the other room I just couldn't cover anymore.

Seriously, how do you keep a straight face? Because I know that these things aren't going to be half as cute when she's 7 as they are now. I'm afraid I'm going to bite through the inside of my cheek, though, if she keeps this stuff up.

Happy birthday, Grandpa Bob!