how nice

My wonderful aunt and uncle tell this joke they picked up when they were sailing in the states. It goes like this: two women are sharing are recovery room in a hospital after delivering their babies. Woman number one, we'll call her Charlotte, turns to her neighbour and says with a Southern drawl,"well now, this is my third child and I just wonder what my husband will give me as a present, for my first child he gave me a diamond neckless..."
And the second woman, Jane, says, "how nice," but Charlotte just carries on with her monologue, "and for my second child he gave me a Rolls Royce, and I just can't imagine what he'll be giving me for this one, maybe that little sailboat I've always wanted..."
Jane nods her head and says again, "how nice."
Charlotte looks over and Jane and says, "this is your second child, right? What did your husband give you for your first?" To which Jane responds, "my husband sent me to finishing school."
"Oh," says Charlotte, a little perplexed, "and whatever did you learn there?"
"Well," says Jane, "I used to say, 'fuck you,' and now I say, 'how nice.'"


At any rate, I just read the blog of a man with a three month old daughter, who claims his baby only cries for two reasons, because she's hungry or because she's sleepy, and I found myself thinking, "how nice."