"Because it left its tracks"

Here at Camp Sinki we value compassion, honesty, kindness, and a good joke.

Here's one (it's situational and must be done in the proper time and place: outside just after going over railroad tracks):
Person 1:"Hey! There was just a train through here!"
Person 2: "How do you know that?"
Person 1: "Because it left its tracks."
And then everyone present laughs.

This is an old joke that my dad's dad told him, he told us and on and on. Recently, Willa was in the van with her grandparents and great-grandpa. She told the joke, and (my mom reported) my grandpa cracked up.

But now the old joke has gotten really, really old. As in, I take different routes to destinations based on train track presence to avoid the "HEY!" coming from the back seat. And, given our location in the city, it's difficult to go track-free.

So. Every time we go over a set of tracks, Willa starts the joke, and demands that we participate. We are duty bound to ask, "how do you know" and then explode into appreciative laughter after. We tried to wean her by just not laughing, but she said, "guys! Laugh!" We tried to teach her new jokes.

Nope.

This week we went over tracks, Willa set it up, we swung, she delivered the punchline. Jim and I were silent for a moment. And from behind my seat, where Henry sits there was a completely fake and forced, "ha. ha. ha."

The joke is renewed.