I adore being a mom, especially now that I have a daughter who makes me giggle. Our recent phone chat had an unexpectedly humorous turn.

My daughter mentioned the Gladiator movie she had given me, and that was when it all began. Curious, I answered, “Yes.” I had no idea what was going to happen next.

“Wind it forward one hour, sixteen minutes, and twenty-eight seconds,” she said to me. With curiosity piqued, I asked, “Right, I’ve done that,” as I followed her instructions.

Her voice became animated at that point. “Alright, you see the gladiator fighting the lion at the front,” she cried. I couldn’t help but smile and say, “Yeah, I can see that.”

However, that was not the conclusion. She continued to astonish us with new surprises. “There are two gladiators engaged in a sword fight right behind him,” she said. “Okay, I see them,” I said, looking surprised.

She then delivered the punchline. “Well, behind those two, a woman gladiator is holding a spear on the left-hand side of the screen,” she remarked. Her attention to detail impressed me, so I laughed and replied, “Yes!” I see her.

And then the bombshell dropped. She disclosed what she wanted for her approaching birthday. “That’s right,” she cried with tremendous passion. I want those sandals for my birthday.

It’s these laugh-filled, bonding times with my daughter that truly make parenting so amazing. These kinds of everyday occurrences are what make lifelong memories and bring so much happiness.